Scottish Country Dancer Magazine, issue 32, April 2021

SCOTTISH

Country Dancer The Members’ Magazine of the RSCDS

No 32 April 2021

R S C DS EVENT S For 2021, Spring Fling in Aberdeen and Summer School in St Andrews have been cancelled. Read on for upcoming event news

VIRTUAL SPRING FLING 2021

92ND RSCDS AGM 2021

17 APRIL REMOTE, WORLDWIDE

6 NOVEMBER PERTH, SCOTLAND

The Scottish country dance festival for 12 - 35 year olds! In 2021, Spring Fling will be hosted by the Aberdeen team and delivered online instead. Details of the day will be posted on the Spring Fling 2021 website as soon as available: www.springfling2021.com

Details of the AGM, and Autumn Gathering weekend, will be posted on our website as soon as available: www.rscds.org/agm

WINTER SCHOOL 2022 20 - 25 FEBRUARY THE ATHOLL PALACE HOTEL, PITLOCHRY CO-ORDINATOR: WILLIAM WILLIAMSON

SUMMER EVENT 2021 DATES TBC REMOTE, WORLDWIDE Although Summer School has been cancelled, we are hoping to offer a virtual event instead. Details will be posted on our website as soon as available: www.rscds.org/events

These dates are provisional. Details will be posted on our website as soon as available: www.rscds.org/events

FROM THE COMMUNITY RSCDS Branches, Groups, members and others from the wider Scottish country dance and music community have been busy! There is a growing number of virtual events and classes available and we have listed the free ones on our website. www.rscds.org/virtual-events

ONLINE CLASSES The RSCDS continues to host weekly online dance classes for all. Each class is delivered by a mystery teacher from somewhere in the world and is free to join.

Thank you to all the volunteers who make this possible. www.rscds.org/online-classes

For any queries, contact the RSCDS: info@rscds.org

Limited edition Show your love for the RSCDS - our Teemill shop includes one-off designs from the Dance Scottish At Home initiative, virtual event souvenirs and favourite dances.

Products are sustainably produced from organic cotton right here in the UK www.rscds.teemill.com

The digital collection Discover an impressive range of Scottish country dance music and publications online.

Available on our website and popular streaming services www.rscds.org/shop

At Home Podcasts Enter the world of traditional Scottish music with the RSCDS Music Director and guests. Available for free www.soundcloud.com/rscds

Editorial It was with trepidation that I agreed to have a go at editing the Scottish Country Dancer magazine, especially as Jimmie Hill has produced so many fascinating and thought-provoking previous issues. These have enticed us all to look beyond our local classes and dance events, introducing us to the people, opinions and innovative ideas of other dancers worldwide.

We have also learned a great deal about the tradition of our dancing style and how it has evolved over the centuries.

I hope that this issue continues along this path of discovery and stimulates some thought and discussion among yourselves.

Maybe even a letter to the editor?

In the privileged position of magazine editor, with the help and advice of the hard-working editorial team, I get to choose what to publish, but there would be no magazine without all the enthusiastic contributors. They not only write interesting articles, send in news and photos of their group events, and let the editor know their opinions on dancing matters, but have allowed me to renew friendships and make the acquaintance of dancers in far-flung places, with whom I hope someday to be dancing.

In this issue, Meryl Thomson introduces you to a fascinating African gentleman, who devised and danced country dances in the 18th century. Mats Melin and Jen Schoonover describe how country dancing and step dancing are intertwined in the Scottish tradition. Andrea Re enthuses over the online Scottish step dance classes that have kept many dancers hopping around in their kitchens this past year; Susie Petrov encourages groups to develop class musicians; and Jimmie Hill talks about dancing at the time of Walter Scott. The RSCDS will publish a book of Walter Scott dances later this year: a must-buy for anyone looking for some ‘new’ dances to try when we are all able to meet up and take hands again in class.

The RSCDS committees and staff have continued working behind the scenes. Virtual events are happening and this year we all have the opportunity to go to Spring Fling in Aberdeen.

New and revised publications are underway. Among them, the reprint of the Frederick Hill manuscript contains a fascinating historical introduction written by Alastair MacFadyen, as well as reproduction of the original instructions for Scottish country and step dances of the time. Very helpfully, the Core Training for Instructors programme will be ready to assist groups as we return to dancing.

Reports from branches and affiliated groups illustrate how dancers have found many innovative ways to keep in touch with dancing friends under pandemic restrictions. Online classes, discussions about music, quizzes and puzzles, baking and craft competitions, as well as sharing jokes, and most importantly – chat time for sharing thoughts, concerns and hopes for the future. Although social dancing has been impossible for so many, news from the lucky few in Australasia now dancing together, reminds the rest of us that there will be a day when we too will join in the fun again.

Over this past year, many of us have realised just how much dancing means to us, and how special it is to be a member of the worldwide family of the RSCDS, where friendship, fun and fitness is all rolled up in the one activity we love and share together. Meantime, we intend to try hard to keep fit, keep safe and look forward to happy days of dancing ahead.

Contents RSCDS Events

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News from Coates Crescent

4

Chairman and Convenors’ Reports

6

Ignatius Sancho: Man of Letters and Music

8

In My Opinion

10

Step Dancing Online

11

The Walter Scott Anniversary Dances

12

Step Dancing: a Multifaceted Tradition

14

Encouraging Musicians to Play for Classes

16

Dancing Around the World

18

Whetherly Book Digitisation

22

Kenneth MacDonald MBE

22

Letters to the Editor

23

Reviews

24

Sadly Missed

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The next issue of Scottish Country Dancer will be published in October 2021. Please refer to Notes for Contributors on the website.

Send materials for inclusion to the editor: mag.editor@rscds.org no later than 31 July. Please send enquiries about advertising to Cécile Hascoët: mag.advertising@rscds.org Editor Fiona Grant Editorial Team Caroline Brockbank, Jean Martin, Helen McGinley, Jimmie Hill, Jane McIntosh Publisher The Royal Scottish Country Dance Society 12 Coates Crescent, Edinburgh, EH3 7AF Website www.rscds.org

Telephone Email 0131 225 3854 info@rscds.org

Graphic Designer Its All Good The Haughs, Cromdale, Grantown on Spey, PH26 3PQ info@itsallgood.org.uk t: 01479 870 435 Printer J Thomson Colour Printers Ltd, 14-16 Carnoustie Place, Glasgow G5 8PB

Fiona Grant, Bristol, UK Cover: The famous monument to Sir Walter Scott, Princes Street, Edinburgh. Shutterstock Photos.

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News from Coates Crescent Branch Anniversaries in 2021 Congratulations to the following Branches, who celebrate significant anniversaries this year: Kilmarnock & District 85 Calgary 45 West Lothian 85 Gothenburg 45 Birmingham 75 Kitchener-Waterloo 45 Adelaide 70 Royal Tunbridge Wells 45 Liverpool 70 Stockholm 45 Oban and Lorn 65 Western Australia 45 Norwich 65 Central Kentucky 40 London (Canada) 60 Medicine Hat 40 Royal Leamington Spa 60 Peterborough & District 40 Hague District 55 Windsor (Ontario) 40 Los Angeles 55 Brighton 30 Ottawa 55 St Johns (Newfoundland) 30 Atlanta 45

Board and Committee Membership for 2020-21 As a result of voting at the 2020 AGM and subsequent appointments to fill some vacancies, the current membership list for the Management Board and Committees is:

Management Board Lorna Ogilvie (Chairman) William Williamson (Chairman-Elect) Bill Cant (Treasurer) Anne Taylor (Convenor, E&T) Peter Knapman (Convenor, MS) Joana Stausberg (Convenor, YS) Trevor Clarke, Fiona Grant, David Macdonald, Jane Meikle, Joan Nesbitt, Roy Bain, Gary Coull, Neil Copland (Members)

RSCDS Subscriptions

Education & Training Committee

During the AGM in November 2020, the Management Board passed the motion that for the year from 1st July 2021 the basic full annual subscription shall be maintained at £18.00, with other membership subscriptions based pro-rata on this amount.

Sub HQ Category fee Members Adult single £18.00 £30.00 (25+) Adult joint £29.00 £48.00 (both 25+ and same branch and address) Youth £9.00 £20.00 (12-17) Young adult £14.00 £26.00 (18-24)

Anne Taylor (Convenor & Schools Director) Deirdre MacCuish-Bark, Mervyn Short, Anne Robertson,Oluf Olufsen, Rachel Shankland, Sue Porter, Muriel Bone, Deb Lees (Members)

RSCDS Affiliated Group Rates 2020-21 There is no change in the Affiliated Group fees this year.

Affiliation fee £45.00 Youth affiliation fee £22.50 (where 50% of members

are under 25 or in full-time education) University Group No charge To date, 234 Affiliated Groups have renewed for this year compared with 303 last year. We look forward to hearing from the remaining Affiliated Groups in the near future. However, sadly, we say goodbye to Basildon Caledonian Society, Crookfur Scottish Country Dance Club and Louisville Scottish Country Dancers and thank them for their partnership.

New Branches and members Despite the current absence of dancing, we wanted to remind members of the recent formation of two new RSCDS Branches.

We are sure you will join us in welcoming the new Herts & Borders Branch in England plus the new Breton Branch in France and we wish them happy dancing times ahead!

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As a result of our special offer HQ half year membership campaign between January and June 2021 for new members only, we received over 20 enquiries and are delighted to welcome these new members to the Society.

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Membership Services Committee Peter Knapman (Convenor) Luke Brady (Music Director) Angela Young (Convenor Elect) Alan Ross, Ainslie Dunnett, Keith Rose, Maureen Daniels (Members)

Youth Services Committee Joana Stausberg (Convenor) Moira Korus, Aymeric Fromherz, Malin Altenmüller, Philippa McKee, Abigail Brown (Members) You can find out more about the Management Board and Committee members online at: www.rscds.org/about/people

Vacancies and appointments in 2021 The Management Board and Committee vacancies due to be filled at the AGM this November are as follows: Management Board: 3 (for 3 years) Education & Training: Convenor Elect + 3 (for 3 years) Membership Services: 4 (2 for 3 years + 2 for 1 year) Youth Services: Convenor + 3 (2 for 3 years + 1 for 2 years) Nomination forms are available on the website: www.rscds.org/about/governance/management-board-committees In addition to completing the form, members must submit a profile outlining the skills and attributes they have to offer.

Guidelines on the reverse of the form give an indication of what should be included, but those considering standing for election are strongly advised to read the role descriptions for Board and Committee members. Please contact office.manager@rscds.org if you have any questions. The deadline for nomination forms, profiles and photos to be sent to Coates Crescent is Saturday 11 September 2021.

Deadline for AGM Motions Motions from Branches to the AGM in November should be sent to Coates Crescent by Saturday 14 August 2021.

Scroll of Honour 2020 During the 2020 Virtual AGM, scroll citations were read out for the following outstanding members: James Healy

(Perth and Perthshire)

Marjorie McLaughlin

(San Diego)

Fiona Miller

(Medicine Hat)

Ian Muir

(Oxfordshire)

Ron Wallace

(San Francisco)

Marilyn Watson

(Bournemouth)

Ruby Wilkinson

(East Lothian)

Angela Young

(Aberdeen)

Archive News The Hill Manuscript, originally published in 2009 Alastair MacFadyen (Former Chairman), Alan Macpherson (Archivist) and Anita Mackenzie, is scheduled for a reprint. We look forward to offering this to members soon as both a digital version and a printed version. Please register your interest in ordering a copy by emailing info@rscds.org The Hill MS is possibly one of the most important surviving manuscripts about Scottish Traditional Dance. It dates from 1841 and was compiled by Frederick Hill of Alford. We know very little about Frederick Hill other than that he was born in Hammersmith in London, was a Tailor and Clothier by trade and that he settled in Clatt in Aberdeenshire when aged about 25, subsequently moving

Link to download a digital version of the magazine: www.rscds.org/shop/product/emagazine/scottish-countrydancers-issue-10/ Proceeds of the sales of the re-published book will go toward the development of the RSCDS Archive.

RSCDS Staffing Update Due to the financial impact of COVID-19, we are very sad to confirm that both Julia Parr (Education and Training Officer) and Mairi Marshall (Administrative Receptionist) were made redundant at the end of October. Debbie Morris (Communications and Marketing Officer) also left the Society at the end of November in order to move to her new marketing role at the University of Edinburgh. We are very grateful to all three for their hard work and we are sure you will join us in wishing them well in their future endeavours. In the short term, workloads will be prioritised and reallocated among the remaining staff members and the Management Board will review plans for how best to proceed in the longer term. Thank you for your patience and understanding in the meantime.

The Board approved the appointment of a 6-month Interim Marketing Director to take forward a comprehensive, and practical, marketing strategy before handing over to a more junior Marketing Officer to implement the Strategy. They will be supported by a small Advisory Panel of members, with international representation.

Shop News Update for customers ordering goods from the RSCDS shop from Europe: As EU countries and the UK settle into the post Brexit environment, it is important to note that your delivery may be subject to import duties and taxes, which are levied once the goods reach the country of destination. Any such charges levied in relation to customs clearance must be paid by you. The RSCDS has no control over additional charges in relation to customs clearance and we recommend that you check with your local customs officials or post office for more information regarding importation taxes/duties that may be applicable to your online order.

There has also been a change to postage and packaging costs. You can view our 2021 prices in the FAQs Shop section on the website: www.rscds.org/about/ frequently-asked-questions

Future RSCDS Publications

to Alford not far from Clatt. The original notebook is possibly his aide-memoire recording the instructions for the dances he had been taught (probably by itinerant dancing masters). It is interesting in that it includes Quadrilles, Country Dances and High or Step Dances, and is the source of several dances published by the Society.

You can discover more about the origins of the manuscript and the preparation of the facsimile in Issue 10 of the SCD Magazine:

Membership Services Committee are aiming to bring you some exciting publications this year including: The highly anticipated RSCDS publication of the Sir Walter Scott Dances. This book of six dances, first published in 1820 in Edinburgh, is designed to celebrate Sir Walter Scott’s novel ‘The Heart of Midlothian’. The dances have been reconstructed by Membership Services in collaboration with the RSCDS Research Group.

Books 39-45 will be made available this year as a Combined Book, both as a printed version and an e-book.

Thank you to all our customers who have continued to support the Society by purchasing our e-books. (link for digital version: www.rscds.org/shop/category/digital-collection/

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From the Chairman

Youth Services Lorna Ogilvie

Little did I realise when I learned Scottish country dancing as a child, at Mary Erskine School in Edinburgh, that I would have the honour, and responsibility, of becoming RSCDS Chairman in 2020. Looking back on the intervening years what stands out for me is the sheer enjoyment I have had from dancing, and the many lifelong friends I have made.

For many years I attended Summer School at St Andrews, and I rarely missed an AGM weekend, even when living in London over a period of 20 years. These were opportunities to catch up with dancing friends from around the country, to have fun on the dance floor, and to enhance my dancing skills thanks to being challenged by superb teachers.

After studying Geography at Edinburgh and Calgary universities, my teaching career took me from Inverness to Croydon, then back north to Perthshire and Aberdeen, finally returning to Croydon for my second Headship, before retiring to Scone near Perth. During these years I taught extra-curricular Scottish country dancing to all ages from 8-18 and saw just how much dancing meant to these youngsters. Entering Aberdeen teams for the festival, and taking seniors on music tours to the USA, were highlights for both the girls and me.

The local RSCDS branch gave me not just the dancing which I love, but the perfect way to make new friends.

Each time my job took me to another location I would join the local RSCDS branch. This gave me not just the dancing which I love, but the perfect way to make new friends.

Over the years I have enjoyed Scottish country dancing at formal balls and village hops, and with wildly enthusiastic boys and girls at school dances. There have been demonstrations at grand venues such as Blair Castle and Scone Palace, alongside more challenging surfaces like grass at local village events and, whilst in Aberdeen, on visiting cruise ships. There were truly memorable events such as dancing on the football pitch at Wembley, with teams from all over London, and of course the nerve-wracking highly competitive Aberdeen Music Festival!

Serving as branch Chairman in Aberdeen and Croydon, and Secretary in Perth and Perthshire, gave me a unique insight into how tirelessly branch committees work organising classes and dances. Additionally, my two stints on the Management Board, prior to becoming Chairman Elect, were undoubtedly invaluable preparation for the next two years.

I take on the Chairman’s role at the end of the most unsettling year any of us has ever experienced. The Covid-19 lockdown has affected all of our lives. Not being able to dance has, for many members, meant not just the lack of the fitness this brings, but more importantly the loss of a precious social life linked to the fun of dancing with others. The Society has run the very successful DSAH Summer Celebration week, and Autumn Evening, in addition to the DSAH newsletter and weekly online class. Members agree that this has helped to keep spirits up and, equally importantly, sustained communication within our worldwide RSCDS family. I know that

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Joana Stausberg Hello from the Youth Services Committee - we all are as keen to dance as ever, and keep our fingers crossed that you are, too! The AGM brought us Abigail Brown as a new member. Margaret Lambourne and Olga McIntosh ended their terms on the committee in November and we thank them for the time, love and effort they have invested.

a Virtual Spring Fling from Aberdeen on 17 April Another year, another Spring Fling event cancelled. This time, however, we’re prepared. These times do prepare us for all kinds of things, don’t they? We’ll turn the disappointment into something exciting: A Virtual Spring Fling. The Aberdeen Spring Fling committee together with the Aberdeen Branch are presenting a day of various online sessions, including country dance and step classes, fun theory sessions and a ceilidh evening. The event will take place on Saturday, 17 April. We look forward to ‘seeing’ you there. Thank you, Angela and the DSAH team, for your support of the venture!

After the beautiful and fun contributions to the 2020 Virtual Festival, we will host another one this year. We want to encourage you to engage with dancing in new ways again, at least for all those of you who cannot (yet) dance together. Please wait until the Virtual Spring Fling for further announcements.

Other plans for this year to keep us busy include raising our social media profile and creating a calendar for 2022. large numbers of branches have also found innovative ways to keep their members in touch socially. Nonetheless, we all long for the day when we can meet up and dance together, in person.

The Society will have to adapt to operating in the ‘new normal’ even after the vaccination rollout.

I am a natural optimist, but there are immense challenges ahead for the RSCDS. There are financial pressures on the budget emphasising the need to retain memberships whilst we await a return to the dance floor. The Society will have to adapt to operating in the ‘new normal’ even after the vaccination rollout. Whilst fully appreciating that dancers would like specific advice on how to approach this return to dancing, ongoing regulations at both local, and national level, make this almost impossible. We all recognise that a gradual build-up towards full fitness on the dance floor will be advisable.

My role, working with the Management Board, Committees and Working Groups, and supported by Clare and the office staff, is to take the Society forward looking especially at how we can modernise our approach to communications, building on the achievements of the past year. Marketing will play an important role in this as we return to dancing and prepare to celebrate our Centenary in 2023. If ever there was a need to have such an exciting year to look forward to, it is now!

Membership Services

Education and Training

Peter Knapman Now that vaccines are being rolled out there are some slight signs of optimism that we might just get back to dancing sometime this year, but in the meantime many of us still find life very restricted and have been far more reliant on digital communication. Following the Society’s first ever digital AGM I am pleased to see that Keith Rose and Ainslie Dunnett are now both officially elected to Membership Services and that Angela Young has been elected as Convenor Elect. Luke Brady has taken up his position of Music Director and in that role is an important member of MS. Luke has established a music subcommittee to advise and assist him in his new role. I suspect that Luke will wish to expand on the role of the music subcommittee and his thoughts about music in a future edition of the magazine.

Unfortunately, we are still officially short of three members, which may impact on how much we can achieve this coming year.

Maureen Daniel has agreed to fill one of these positions as a coopted member for this coming year and I would like to thank her for agreeing to give up some of her time to help us out.

The committee is still heavily involved with the production of DSAH which takes a considerable amount of time and effort for all of those involved – I trust you enjoy these regular communications.

The Saturday evening Autumn Gathering seemed a great success, presenting music, dancing, pictures and information in an entertaining manner – a big thanks to Angela.

Alongside DSAH the committee has been continuing with our normal workload but, yes there is always a but, publishing timescales have slipped. The next combined volume covering books 39 to 45 is well underway and undergoing final reviews. The formation index is being updated – no timescale has been set for this but much of the initial work has been completed. The first batch of videos in the video project has been edited and uploaded onto the RSCDS YouTube channel.

The ‘Heart of Midlothian’ booklet by Walter Scott was originally published in 1820.

One of the most interesting projects being undertaken by Membership Services is the book of dances associated with Sir Walter Scott. One of the most fascinating aspects of the project is reconstructing the dances – they need to be both authentic and, hopefully, also fun to dance. This is being done in conjunction with the research group and you can find out about some of the challenges involved in Jimmie Hill’s article in this edition of the magazine. We are aiming to publish this in time for this year’s Autumn Gathering, by when we will, with luck, be able to meet again and dance in some sort of normality. As well as reconstructions of these historic dances the book will contain a myriad of information about Walter Scott and the social life in Edinburgh at the time. Walter Scott was born in 1771 and the ‘Heart of Midlothian’ booklet was originally published in 1820 – republishing these dances just over 200 years after they initially saw the light of day and 250 after Walter Scott was born seems highly appropriate.

Anne Taylor It is sad that once again I write this report with little or no Scottish country dancing taking place. Who would have thought that, over a year ago, we would all still be in some form of lockdown? I do not think we realised that we were in this for the long haul and that its effects would be felt world-wide.

During lockdown and with meetings online, the Education and Training team members have been working extremely hard. I refer to them as a team as they work very well together with everyone sharing views and decisions.

We were concerned when we had to postpone the Teacher’s Certificate Unit 1 Examinations earlier this year. This was due to the restrictions put upon us by the Governments in the UK. However, branches and organisers did notify us to say they were experiencing a variety of problems in trying to implement their planned Unit 1 Examinations. We hope these will now take place in the middle of 2021. The committee is looking at other ways of tackling examinations during lockdown conditions. News of any new development will come soon.

Sadly, also in February, Winter School had to be cancelled for 2021. The Co-ordinator, William Williamson, has agreed to coordinate Winter School 2022 along with his duties as our new Chairman Elect. We hope to see many of you there.

Once again, for the second year, Summer School in St Andrews, has had to be cancelled. We sincerely hope that you will all return to Summer School in 2022. We look forward to meeting you all again or for your first time.

The Core Training for Instructors programme is available on the RSCDS website I am happy to announce that details of the Core Training for Instructors programme are now on the RSCDS web pages. The call for teachers to assist the leaders of classes to become instructors, which was mentioned in DSAH and on the RSCDS website, has already generated a significant response. We will have short online training sessions for those interested. We will not be able to roll out the entire CTI programme until dancing classes resume.

The register of RSCDS qualified teachers has been collated and we are compiling some other suggestions received.

On-line Scottish Step classes are being well attended throughout lockdown and the Wednesday Scottish country dance classes proved popular. I wish to thank the individuals concerned for their enthusiastic efforts to keep us motivated at this difficult time.

The RSCDS office staff are working from home and I thank them for being so helpful during these restrictive times.

I hope we will meet again, whenever and wherever that might be.

I am confident that we will be back on the dance floor and enjoying the pastime we all love and enjoy so much.

Keep dancing

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A man of Letters and Music Ignatius Sancho Meryl Thomson, a member of the Early Dance Circle, writes about the discovery and interpretation of the music and country dances of a remarkable 18th century gentleman.

Meryl will be known to many members. She and her husband Ian played fiddle in the band Green Ginger.

Meryl also played at St Andrews for a number of years.

On a trip in August 2014 to Greenwich on our trusty tandem, Ian and I stopped off at the National Maritime Museum. Our visit coincided with Slavery Remembrance Day - the museum had put on a series of events including a walking tour of Greenwich Park with a historical guide. We were surprised, on reaching the Ranger’s House at the top of the hill, to be shown a plaque nearby commemorating Ignatius Sancho, a prominent eighteenth century character - someone whose music and dances our band Green Ginger has played for many years.

Portrait of Sancho, c.1788 by Thomas Gainsborugh

interpreted these for his class at the 2002 Dolmetsch Historical Dance Society Summer School and we recorded the music for four dances - Mungo’s Delight, Kew Gardens, Merry Wives of Westminster and The Dutchess [sic.] of Devonshire’s Reel. The latter, with its lovely flowing patterns and graceful procession to the top of the set, has become a favourite in the historical dance repertoire.

Who was Ignatius Sancho? Sancho was born on a slave ship c.1729 and at the age of two was brought as a slave to Greenwich, where he lived with three sisters. He came to the notice of the Duke of Montagu who taught him to read and better himself.

Some eighteen years after arriving in Greenwich Sancho ran away to the Duke’s household where he became a butler and several years later received a legacy from the Montagus which eventually allowed him to set up as a shopkeeper. Sancho was active in the British abolitionist movement and due to owning property was eligible to vote, probably being the first black Briton to do so. He published several important collections of letters and essays and corresponded with the author Laurence Sterne.

The country dances in Sancho’s collections, particularly the reels, have a definite Scottish feel. Sancho probably travelled to Scotland while working for the Duke of Montagu and one of his dances is called Dalkeith Castle, a property owned by the Duke’s son-in-law. Many of his dances have four-bar phrases repeated, common in traditional Scottish music. The reels are mostly double-time reels for example like the tune used in SCD for General Stuart’s Reel. Sancho was very fond of a particular figure - rights and lefts in four bars. In both the 1776 and 1779 collections more than half of the country dances finish with four bar rights and lefts. This adds to the excitement of the dance but in public Balls can be problematic since dancers really have to move to get round. We recorded one dance, Lord Dalkeith’s Reel, on our album Grand Waterloo Ball.

At the Ball an alternative interpretation was tried, changing rights and lefts to cross corners, but still in four bars. This caused hilarity with dancers forgetting who needed to cross first!

Sancho wrote four dance music collections between c.1767 and 1779 containing dance forms popular at the time - stately minuets, lively cotillions and country dances. Until recently, Sancho’s dances were not generally known to today’s historical dancers; however, Ellis Rogers (founder of Quadrille Club)

Sancho’s ‘Cotillions &c humbly dedicated (with permission) to the Princess Royal’ c.1776 was recently discovered in a private UK collection and made available for research by Sally Petchey and Paul Cooper from the Early Dance Circle (EDC) and Hampshire Regency Dancers. We became involved in the project to provide

Plaque - Commemorative plaque to Ignatius Sancho in Greenwich Photo credit - Ian Thomson

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music to accompany Sally’s book. The collection contains four jigs, eleven reels and seven cotillions plus music for a minuet and a hornpipe. Cotillions are dances in a square formation that consist of the change and the figure. The figure generally is the same for each turn of the dance while the change varies – so the structure of the dance is one change followed by the figure, then another change followed by the figure etc. There could be more than ten turns of the dance with a different change each turn.

Cotillions were danced throughout the UK in the eighteenth century, including being popular in Scotland.

In this collection several of the cotillions change rhythm during the figure, from jig to reel, or from dotted rhythm to jig. Although some other cotillions change rhythm during the figure, most progress from a faster jig or reel rhythm to a slower one (usually minuet) before returning to the faster rhythm for the next change or chorus. Sancho’s changes of rhythm are unusual as he prefers to progress from one faster rhythm to another. When danced, we found this elevated the cotillions and were great fun to dance.

In 2018 we were invited, along with a group of dancers, to perform some of these dances to the present Lord Montagu and the public in Palace House at Beaulieu. We were able to use an original fortepiano which was lovely, although not at modern concert pitch, which meant we had to wind down the fiddle strings to match! A great honour and we hope Sancho would have been pleased the dances and music he composed were being seen and heard by a new audience some 200 years later.

Dance books of two of Sancho’s collections, with interpreted instructions and background information at

Discover Sancho’s life, dances and music in an EDC video at

www.greenginger.bandcamp.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IOnjOprUWs0

Early Dance Circle:

Ian and Meryl - Playing as part of Green Ginger band at Palace House, Beaulieu Photo credit - Ian and Meryl Thomson

https://www.earlydancecircle.co.uk/publications/aids-to-study/ Recordings of the newly discovered 1776 Dances for a Princess collection and also some of his other dances at https://www.earlydancecircle.co.uk/

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In My Opinion Elinor Vandegrift teaches for the Seattle Branch and was appointed one of the first two North American RSCDS examiners in 1995. She says that one of the great joys of being an examiner is seeing the maturity and enthusiasm shown by teachers when they take their Unit 5 examination after having taught for a few years.

Until last March and the introduction of pandemic restrictions on social activities, I taught such a mixed ability class. We sometimes have enjoyed a second teacher sharing skills and ideas. This was a bonus for all. With their encouraging manner, the experienced dancers have always been the epitome of a welcoming and friendly class.

Teachers are always learning Teachers owe it to themselves and their classes to continue their own learning and growth. However long one has been teaching, attending classes taught by other teachers should be an inspiration and an adjunct to one’s own teaching: enjoy how seamlessly, or not, a class moves along; appreciate the pace, timing, and the class management; envision how you might include new ideas.

The Manual of yore was Won’t You Join the Dance, (later referenced as WYJD) written by Miss Milligan. I expect there are many other teachers who have all the editions with green, turquoise, blue, and purple jackets. Our written examination used to include presenting ideas on how to teach a particular step or formation to different levels of ability. Individual ideas were expected and stood us in good stead when we qualified with our Preliminary Test or Full Certificate.

In praise of the RSCDS Teaching scheme

Happy Smiles in Elinor’s Class at Lake Forest Park

T

hanks to Dance Scottish At Home, we have had a plethora of ‘Mystery Teachers’ from ‘Mystery Locations’ around the globe.

What an outstanding job Angela and her team have done and continue to do! None of us knew that this ‘new normal’ would last as long as it has.

The importance of good teaching skills Each Wednesday, DSAH teachers have been poised and wellprepared, and have shown that our training programme is proving its worth. Some teachers have been trained by visiting tutors from afar. The standardized, flexible RSCDS programme has allowed them to develop individual styles to bring out the best in their students.

Many parts of the world have branches and clubs that do not have enough students for classes at different levels. Also, many of us adjust our plans to include new students who cross the threshold that day. Some of the new students have danced at pub ceilidhs while on holiday; others have watched a topnotch demonstration team at a Scottish event. Local publicity attracts people looking for a fun, social activity. Some join us to prepare to dance at a family event, while others just love Scottish music or have a Scottish relative somewhere in their past and want to discover more about this heritage.

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Our current RSCDS Manual is helping everyone to learn standard teaching skills, vocabulary, and etiquette. The new modular examination system is giving us a good final result: well prepared and poised teachers. Unit 4 encourages teacher candidates to reflect on their lessons, to self-evaluate, and to adjust their plans so that their subsequent teaching is improved. It is unfortunate that many of them do not have the luxury of teaching a consecutive series of lessons with a class.

I enjoyed a career teaching adapted P.E. for children with multiple disabilities. In the early days of ‘inclusion’, I helped mentor and monitor P.E. teachers who were having to accommodate children with special needs. I have always been impressed that my RSCDS teacher training prepared me for this mentoring. Working with the P.E. teachers also helped me to have more empathy for struggling dancers, while ensuring all my students were having fun while learning.

We have a great training programme for our prospective dance teachers. We know that as SCD continues to evolve, so will our training programme. At the end of WYJD Miss Milligan stated, “Scottish Country Dancing is a happy, social pastime, not a disorderly romp.” It is my opinion that teachers will continue to avoid disorderly romps and strive for fun, fitness, and friendship on the dance floor and beyond.

(For readers of a historic inclination: before WYJTD, John Duthie and Allie Anderson wrote The Complete Guide to Scottish Country Dancing. This was published by McDougalls in 1935. It was widely used and even recommended to schoolteachers by the New Zealand Education Ministry in the 1960s. [Ed.]).

Step Dancing Online During lockdown, RSCDS Step dance classes have kept over 100 Scottish country dancers hopping and stepping in their kitchens each week. Andrea Re from Falkirk describes how he has learned to direct his feet to keep time in a different way.

For me the one good thing that has come out of the pandemic we are all living in is, without a shadow of a doubt, the opportunity to take up step dancing. I’ve been wanting to do it for many years, but in my area, halfway between Glasgow and Edinburgh, there are no classes. The only time I could get to do a little bit was at Summer School, but this was never enough.

I don’t know how many decades has often been perceived as a girly pursuit, and the RSCDS reflected this idea when classes were titled ladies’ step. Did they have any reason to suppose that it is/ was for ladies only? Perhaps they wanted to differentiate between that and ‘men’s highland’, I don’t know. One thing for sure, step dancing is not more or less girly than country dancing. It just gives you a different outlook on the relationship between music and movement. And also, as far as I know, hard shoe, tap, Cape Breton, etc. are step dancing styles open to all. I think the time has come to put the ladies to bed. In fact, the RSCDS now refers to this form of dancing simply as ‘step’ dancing. Let’s see if the name sticks.

The next thing you know is that lockdown arrived, and step dancing classes started mushrooming. This is really no surprise because step dancing is really suited to an enclosed space and to do it meaningfully the only person you need is... yourself.

Why do I like step dancing? Difficult to say: for me it has the novelty factor and I think it appeals to me because I like things to be challenging, but eventually doable to, at least, a reasonable standard.

Step dancing is very different from dancing in sets, as in Scottish country dancing. It explores different aspects of moving to the music. In our case, Scottish country dancing commonly uses only a couple of rhythms, 6/8 and 4/4, and only two speeds, fast and slow. The array of steps at your disposal comprises but five steps.

The way you express yourself is primarily by dancing with a partner within a group of people in a set, following a choreography across the floor, which can be simple, but can become extremely intricate.

In other words, in set dancing the steps are very easy to master; the difficulty lies in the floor patterns or formations you make and in learning to dance with others in time with the music. Once you reach a certain level of proficiency, it is easy to pick up new dances at a relatively fast rate, and you can expect to go through two or three or more within a class.

In step dancing you have to learn a larger number of steps. Difficult to count them, I would say there are about 30 basic steps. Then you can mix and match them as you please, or indeed create new ones. While the slowest and the fastest music are roughly similar to what we are used to in SCD, you can have any speed you like in between. The same with rhythms: so far, I have come across music in five different time signatures, but there is nothing stopping you from creating a dance in, say 5/4, time with 7-bar-long phrases.

All you need is to find music with that structure and be inspired to dance. I think this is the biggest difference between SCD and step dancing. In SCD you can devise a dance and then you can attach a tune to it. Barring a few exceptions, you can dance any country dance to ‘any good’ music. Bands do this routinely when choosing suitable alternative tunes to play. In step dancing, music and movement are deeply intertwined. A dance is usually devised for that particular tune, played at that speed, with that number of repetitions. The best step dances have the tune first and then a dance is devised to fit every single beat of the music.

As a consequence, you cannot expect to pick up a step dance in one single session. Even for experienced dancers, time and practice are necessary to learn the steps and sequences required for a new dance. I say this so that newcomers know what to expect and do not get discouraged when they see that they struggle: everybody does with a new dance.

The question that someone may be asking is why a man would want to do ‘ladies’ step, as step dancing in the RSCDS used to be known, and my answer is “why not?” Unfortunately, dancing for

Andrea concentrates on accurate foot positioning.

Taking up step dancing has made me feel excited about dancing all over again. Just as I remember the adrenalin rush I felt the first time I did Schiehallion reels at St. Andrews University many years ago, or the excitement of attending my prelim class, nowadays when Saturday comes, I can hardly wait to learn, and then practise, a new dance. I know, perhaps I should get out more, but given that we can’t just now, what better way to put all this indoor time to good use? Now I am waiting for all this disruption to be over, so I will be able to do step dancing with other people too. I am sure that will be another exciting new chapter.

Lastly, I must thank Atsuko Clement (RSCDS Edinburgh) and Kate Gentles (RSCDS Cambridge) for running their online classes, as well as all the other teachers who have contributed to the online classes. I can count no fewer than ten individuals, who have been so gracious as to share their knowledge and wisdom. I don’t think there has ever been the opportunity to be taught by so many different people.

Off to practise now www.rscds.org/learn/what-scottish-country-dance-music/whatstep-dancing

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The Walter Scott Anniversary Dances the music. Most of the terminology used is common to dance collections of this time, but some is not. It is quite possible that the teacher/deviser was using his own terms. Had he read the greatest contemporary writer on the country dance, Thomas Wilson? We shall never know. In this article I shall explain some of the issues we are having with their reconstruction.

Our modern preconceptions

Page 1 of the 1820 leaflet

2021 is the 250th anniversary of the birth of Sir Walter Scott, the Scottish novelist famous for his historical novels. In Edinburgh in 1820 six country dances were published, all with a link to his recently published novel, The Heart of Midlothian. The Society has decided to mark the 250th anniversary by re-publishing the six dances in the 1820 leaflet, exactly 201 years after their original publication. In this article Jimmie Hill of the RSCDS Research Group describes the issues in their reconstruction.

The initiative of Bill Clement In Scottish Country Dancer, Issue 13 of October 2011, I wrote of meeting the late Bill Clement and being shown copies of leaflets of dance instructions from the personal collection of Lord James Stewart Murray. Lord James, later the Duke of Atholl, was the first Chairman of the Scottish Country Dance Society and President until 1957. One of the more interesting leaflets in the collection was a set of six dances with the title The Heart of Mid Lothian, a reel, The Laird of Dumbiedike’s Favorite and Madge Wildfire’s Strathspey and Reel to which are added two Favorite Dances for 1820. All six dance titles come from the highly popular novel of 1818, The Heart of Midlothian. A copy of the leaflet also exists in the Special Collections Department of Glasgow University Library, hidden deep in a bound collection of old Scottish music.

The six dances The dances, all with their own music, are: The Heart of Mid Lothian, Madge Wildfire’s Strathspey, Madge Wildfire’s Reel, Reuben Butler, Jeanie Deans’ Strathspey, and The Laird of Dumbiedike’s Favorite – three reels, two strathspeys, and one jig. The novel is set in Edinburgh at the time of the Porteous Riots of 1736. Jeanie Deans, Madge Wildfire, Reuben Butler, and the Laird are all characters in the novel. We know that the leaflet was printed and sold by John Sutherland at his music shop at 9 Calton Street in Edinburgh, but we have no idea who devised the dances or who composed

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When we look at an old dance, it is easy to assume too much. When we read ‘right and left’, we think we know what that means, but the term has had several meanings in country dance history. Thomas Wilson, in his Analysis of Country Dancing of 1808, 1811 and 1822, is adamant that ‘his’ right and left is authentic, but it is very different from what we call ‘rights and lefts.’ Wilson calls this a ‘chain figure for four’ or ‘quadrille chain anglaise’. Another issue is that we have become used to very explicit instructions, but the dancer of 1820 was used to extremely cryptic descriptions, hence the need for us to consult contemporary dance manuals. The third issue concerns dance style and steps. Our sources give us very few hints about what steps were used in formations. Today we use slip step in circles, but in 1820 we know that a chassée step was used – very similar to skip change. Writers such as Wilson rarely described steps – he expected the reader to attend his classes to learn them – why give all his secrets away? – he was a businessman, after all! We have also become used to dance instructions where all the i’s are dotted and all the t’s crossed, but in the reel, The Heart of Mid Lothian, the last 8 bars are ‘Reel – or lead outsides’. The person calling the dance would make the decision on the night. Can you imagine the reaction if we published a dance with a grand chain as the last 8 bars – or a circle – it’s up to you! Where some today scorn the idea of calling a dance, it was standard practice in the early 1800s – and during a set of quadrilles it was not uncommon for each 8 bars to be called while the dancers were dancing – and in French!

Progression A common problem we have when looking at old dances is progression. Today we have a number of formations in reel and jig time which allow us to progress: the poussette, the allemande, the espagnole, set and rotate, set and link, etc. Dancers in 1820 had very few. The most common method of progressing was ‘down the middle and back’, which is why it is used in so many early dances.

Instructions never mention stepping up. That is because there was a convention that as soon as 1st couple vacate top place, the 2nd couple step up. In leading down the middle and back, the 1st couple return to second place unless the instructions make it explicit that they lead back then cast off one place. Another unspoken rule was that, where possible, dancers finished formations in place on their own side – ‘proper’ as opposed to ‘improper’, ie on the opposite side. Finishing facing corners is never mentioned. The following six formations occur in the Scott dances and all differ from modern practice.

1. The poussette Our RSCDS poussette in fast time is a progressive half poussette; in strathspey time it is a non-progressive whole poussette. For the poussette Thomas Wilson is our clearest source. He describes both the whole poussette and the half poussette. They were not danced using pas de basque. Pas de basque was a setting step to be used on the spot. Wilson’s half poussette was not progressive. He also uses the word ‘draw’ for it. The couples continue facing in the same direction, moving round each other once and finish where they started it, not unlike the movements in the Hebridean Weaving Lilt and the Foula Reel, which both use a running step. Wilson’s ‘whole poussette’ is a circular figure where the dancers finish in each other’s place.

It is perfectly believable that in 1820’s Edinburgh dance teachers were teaching the poussette using waltz hold. We know that around

back to place. In some manuals they dance out; in some they cross out. I suspect that it depended on fashion – or the space available.

With a Regency Empire-line frock it would be easy to dance out, but with a wide frock, the lady might cross in front of her partner.

This is only one of several different possible versions of this figure.

4. Rights and lefts Called ‘right and left’ this occurs in two of the dances. We favour Wilson’s ‘quadrille chain anglaise’, which is similar to ours today. The dancing master known only as D.A. describes it clearly in his manual of 1764. Thomas Wilson’s ‘right and left’has the first lady and second man changing places, their partners likewise, then all repeat.

Thomas Wilson’s description of the whole poussette from page 46 of his Complete System of English Country Dancing.

1820 the waltz was very popular with young people, who attended waltz classes run by teachers such as Mr Smart at his Dancing Academy at 95 Princes Street, now a kilt shop! From reading many dances of the period, we know that ‘poussette’ could mean either the progressive or the non-progressive version. In Kenilworth and The Pirate from an 1822 leaflet by Nathaniel Gow, both dances finish with a poussette after the 1st couple have progressed. So, do we stick with our modern pas de basque poussette and change the dance so that it fits? You can see our dilemma!

2. Lead down the middle and up again This is the most common formation in all dances of the period. In 1820 ‘leading’ was a formation, not an instruction. Wilson shows clearly in his diagram that the 1st couple return to second place.

Thomas Wilson’s description of leading back up the middle from page 30 of his Complete System of English Country Dancing. He goes on to say, ‘This is one of the most general short progressive Figures used.’

We know that ‘leading’ meant nearer hands joined: ‘to lead down; the couple so doing must turn their faces towards the bottom of the dance, the man taking the woman’s right hand in his left.’* Many of us remember the debate in the RSCDS in the 1990s about which hand to use when going down the middle. It was decided that ‘lead’ meant right hand in right hand, and ‘dance’ meant nearer hands. Nearer hands, however, is historically more accurate.

3. Lead outsides This formation occurs in three of the six dances. It was a common final formation in many dances of the period. We favour the version where the dancing couple dance out between the side men and cast into the middle, then dance out between the two women and

5. Set abreast top and bottom same on sides This was a very common formation in the historical period. 1st man is between the 3rd couple and first woman is between the 2nd couple. This formation differs from our modern practice where the 1st couple petronella into opposite sides on bars 3 and 4. All the manuals have the 1st couple ending ‘proper’, on their own side. The interpretation we favour is the 1st couple casting back to their own sides on bars 3 and 4.

6. Set cross corners This must have been a popular formation in 1820 as it occurs in four of our dances. Nicholas Dukes shows the pattern of ‘cross corners half round’ and ‘cross corners quite round’ in his manual of 1752.

We have found ‘cross corners’ in Ignatius Sancho’s Duchess of Devonshire’s Reel from 1789, but no other instances of ‘set cross corners’. One of our dances has ‘set cross corners and turn’. We simply cannot say with any certainty what this meant in 1820. Not knowing who the deviser was, we might assume that it was a local teacher, commissioned by John Sutherland.

‘Set cross corners’ may have been the way he referred to ‘set and turn corners’.

Nicholas Dukes’ illustration of ‘cross corners half round’ from page 54 of All we can do is make an his 1752 A concise and easy method informed decision and of learning the figuring part of country dances, by way of characters. hope dancers today will find the dances danceable.

What all research into historical dance tells us is that there is no one ‘correct’ way of reconstructing a dance. We have consulted dance manuals from 1752 through to Thomas Wilson’s of the early 1800s right up to 1820, as well as country dance collections from the whole historic period. Although Thomas Wilson was the most prolific writer on the country dance, earlier manuals do provide lots of insights. For practical purposes we have decided on one way of doing each dance, but we also give the source instructions and explanations for our decisions.

Finally, spelling! In 1820 Midlothian was two words, Mid Lothian, similar to East Lothian and West Lothian; the old slum area of Edinburgh which is today called Dumbiedykes was spelled Dumbiedikes; and favourite was ‘favorite’, the spelling which today is standard American English.

Jimmie Hill, RSCDS Research Group *Country-Dancing made Plain and Easy, D.A., London 1764

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Step dancing: a multifaceted tradition Solo dancing at home has provided many of us with our only way to keep moving to music over the past year. But thinking back over past centuries, it is clear that Scottish solo dancing, usually described as Step dancing, was and continues to be a part of Scottish culture. In this article, Mats Melin and Jen Schoonover look back over the development of this tradition.

The term ‘Step dancing’ is used in some areas of Scotland to refer to any solo dance comprised of a sequence of steps. Steps are movement motifs that, strung together, form a dance, similar to the way words in a sequence tell a story. Within Scotland, ‘Step dance’ can mean different things depending on context and cultural location: it can refer to the iconic Highland Fling, Sword Dance, or Seann Triubhas, to ‘National’ dances such as Blue Bonnets or Over the Water to Charlie, or to the Ladies’ Step dancing genre that emerged in the first half of the twentieth century. It can also refer to percussive dancing, or, as Kenneth Burchill explained it in 1938, ‘the expression of rhythm by means of feet.’

relevance to those of us interested in Scottish dance. The standard of percussive dancing in Scotland in the late 1800s was high.

However, from the late nineteenth century through to the middle of the twentieth century, a pattern emerged across Europe where small groups of people formed associations promoting certain types of dance. These groups worked to set standards of approved styles of execution, intending to highlight favoured national traits of ‘who we are’ in dance. Whether that was Scandinavian national folk dance and song organisations such as Svenska Folkdansringen, the English Folk Dance and Song Society, the Gaelic League in Ireland, or the RSCDS or RSOBHD (Royal Scottish Official Board of Highland Dancing) in Scotland, to name but a few, the patterns of their individual principles, aims, and refinement efforts regarding vernacular dance were strikingly similar. Certain fashions and genres of dance, specifically ones learned through affiliated teachers, were promoted. Preferred ways of ‘correct’ dancing, having an organisational stamp of approval, were pitted against other forms of dance which, most often, had naturally morphed and evolved in local contexts. The success of this wave of standardisation came at the expense of percussive and vernacular dance variation, but traces of those practices can still be discerned.

Irene Fidler’s Step dance class: St Andrews 1985 Dancie John Reid’s Step dance class: St Andrews c. 1930

The First of August and the East Fife Clog Hornpipe are two examples of Scottish percussive dances enduring from living memory. Historical accounts reveal that percussive dancing was widespread in Scotland in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

A few instances may be familiar: Frederick Hill’s 1841 notebook contains notes on dances done in a percussive manner, such as the Flowers of Edinburgh and the Earl of Erroll; Dundee dance master David Anderson’s 1897 ballroom guide provides directions for single and double trebles and other percussive steps.

Percussive Step dancing is commonly perceived as a hallmark of Irish dancing or the clogging styles of Canada and the USA. The truth of the matter is much more complex. Every country on the map has many dialects in language, music, song, and dance which coexist in parallel and influence each other. Just over a hundred years ago, ‘Step Dance’ was, in the words of the English folk dance collector Cecil Sharp in 1911, ‘the most popular folk dance at the present time, [...] a standing proof of the capacity of the village dancer to create and execute extremely complex and intricate movements.’ Because Step dance was so popular and widespread, Sharp deliberately avoided documenting it.

Film footage taken in London of competitive Step, also called ‘Clog’ dancing, survives from the late 1800s, and provides a glimpse of this quick, precise, and playful form. This footage, in the Huntley Film Archives, is available here www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-dtk7WwqBE) That the winner of that self-proclaimed ‘World Championship’ was a man named Burns who hailed from Glasgow is of particular

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At the end of December 2020, a thirty-year on-and-off project came to its conclusion, when our book Dance Legacies of Scotland: The True Glen Orchy Kick was published by Routledge. Included are findings from years of research tracing references to and recollections of percussive Step dancing in Scotland. We list many historical accounts depicting the clattering boots, shuffling, and beating in time to music, as well as snapping and clapping. We dissect terminology and relate Scottish dancing to wider European dance practices and fashions. Practices that survived in the Scottish diaspora help tell different sides of the story, and we share personal accounts of recent fieldwork throughout Scotland.

While researching, we had to find our way through a maze of terminology used in historical sources. ‘Step dancing’ has many facets, with various definitions and layers of history to consider.

Meanings evolved with fashions and time periods, as did the language used by dancing masters, who were widespread and plentiful in nineteenth-century Scotland. Some labels denoting solo dances of the time, such as Pas Seul, High Dance, Hornpipe, and Rant, also got placed on dances that incorporated shuffles, trebles, and toe-and-heel movements.

More recently, the dance categories of Ladies’ Step dancing and the curiously named ‘Lesser Known’ solo dances were coined, and include dances incorporating these types of movements. Some were seen as gender specific. Dancie John Reid, who taught at Summer School in St Andrews in the 1930s, taught certain dances to girls only, and some to boys and men only. As it became more commonplace or acceptable for adult women to perform dances publicly, Ladies’ Step emerged as a distinct style at RSCDS Summer Schools, offered in parallel to the male-only Highland dance

classes. While soft-soled shoes are expected in these styles today, dance pupils of the nineteenth century wore dress shoes of varied sorts. You can see varied footwear in this lovely portrait of Dancie James Neill of Forfar and his pupils (pictured opposite).

In our book, we question whether it is indeed a prerequisite for percussive dance to be performed in hard-soled shoes producing crisp rhythmic patterns. Dances can communicate rhythmic effects without special footwear. In Cape Breton Island in Canada today, Step dancers perform in bare feet, trainers, or hiking boots as well as in leather-soled shoes, all seen as fitting into the same style of dancing. This seems to have been the case in Scotland (and England, Wales, and Ireland) of old as well.

It is important to keep in mind that Scottish dance techniques evolved significantly in the twentieth century. Any and all references to dancing written in the past should be read with an open mind. Care must be taken not to consider one’s own experience as the only way to perform, at the expense of ignoring other common practices. We can value each style’s aesthetics and context on their own merit and need not prioritise one over the other. While a dancer may have a favourite style, it is important to respect differences. We personally see all the varied dance forms that are, and have been, practised in Scotland as equally worthy forms of physical expression.

Dancie Neill with David and Elizabeth Bowes Lyon.

National Portrait Gallery

ARE YOU READY FOR AN INSPIRING WEEKEND? RSCDS San Francisco Asilomar Weekend Oct 29 - Oct 31, 2021 Stockholm born dancer, choreographer and researcher, Mats Melin has worked professionally with traditional dance in Scotland since 1995 and in Ireland since 2005. Mats is currently Course Director for the MA in Irish Dance Studies at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance, University of Limerick, Ireland.

As well as researching into Scottish dance history, Jen Schoonover is a modern dancer and choreographer. She teaches movement, improvisation, dance pedagogy, and dance including Cape Breton Step, Ceilidh, Highland and Scottish Country Dancing.

Dance Legacies of Scotland: The True Glen Orchy Kick.

By Mats Melin and Jennifer Schoonover.

ISBN 9780367489472 Published December 31, 2020

by Routledge.

Pacific Grove California

Dance at the beaches of the Monterey Peninsula!

Friday Welcome Dance Saturday Classes Kim McGarrity Memorial Ball Save the date October 29 - 31, 2021

Pandemic Permitting!

Join dancers from near and far at Asilomar!

Accepting applications after July 1 Visit our website in the summer for more information

Asilomar.rscds-sf.org www.rscds.org

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Encouraging Musicians To Play For Dance Classes a local class. After about six months, they dragged me along (under protest!) to my first summertime dance in suburban Washington, DC. I was hooked on the first night! In our last year of school, we had a gang of teens that went dancing every Tuesday night, dancing mostly with each other and sitting out the dances we felt didn’t merit our interest and participation.

Susie Petrov

When there is dancing, the RSCDS Boston Branch offers weekly classes, monthly parties, formal balls and a summer school with ‘live music.’ Why might your group want to encourage local musicians to play? I cannot use the old motivation for teachers, for all our music is digital and you don’t have to lug records and machinery to class every week. Teacher Ed Rawson once said, “It’s SO much more fun to clap to a person on stage than it is to clap to a tape recorder! ”

Fiddler Nora Smith began dancing as part of the century-long university folkdance tradition in the Delaware Valley Branch.

She had learned violin in school. One night, she ’tweaked’ her ankle at an Irish dance and went along to the Scottish dance to listen to the music, do homework and socialize at tea. A Swarthmore College grad was leading a weekly music practice before the dance class. Nora and her friends who were nervous about playing for dancers would get together to practice the music before the weekly session to prepare! It helped her to be part of a group of students who played together.

Nora moved to Boston in 2010 where I promptly invited her to come play for my Fundamentals class. She writes, “Moving to a new place brings out all kinds of insecurities (“what if I don’t belong?”).

Getting out and meeting the local RSCDS

Susie Petrov is passionate about Scottish music and believes that dancing to musicians is much more fun that dancing to a machine. She has taught Scottish music and dance across the USA and Canada, as well as in Scotland and many other European countries.

Greetings dancers! What an exciting opportunity I have to write to you about something that has been an important part of my life for the last almost 50 years.

As I write this, I am enjoying the music of Glasgow’s Celtic Connections exported around the world as so much of Scottish culture has been.

Our music and dance activities lay fallow this season. Perhaps it is a good time to contemplate how we are going to restart our dance groups and how we might attract more people to our most pleasurable pastime. People may well emerge from our current isolated situations hungry for a chance to participate in social dance.

I would like to focus on musicians who play for local classes and dances outwith Scotland. Did you know that many of these musicians are members of the RSCDS? So many of us found our way into dancing first and then picked up our instruments and figured out how to play our highly specialized form of music.

So, how did I fall into this subterranean current of Scottish dance that led to my life’s professional work researching, playing and teaching Scottish music? Like many of you, I had friends who discovered

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Boston Branch musicians performing remotely in June 2020 Here are stories of five RSCDS Boston Branch member musicians. It has been a 40-year effort, but now dancers insist that a party at our Pinewoods summer school is not complete unless our friends are playing on stage and then bringing their instruments along to enliven the afterparty gatherings.

Many players in North America have crossed musical paths with RSCDS member Barbara McOwen, including your humble author who moved to Boston to play in her band Tullochgorum in 1983. Her teacher, C. Stewart Smith, suggested she learn to play after she had become an accomplished dancer in the San Francisco Branch. She received an invitation, assembled an ensemble, practiced assiduously and made a triumphant début at the Asilomar Weekend. Barbara and Robert moved to Boston in 1979, but not before creating a dedicated group of musicians in California.

Barbara McOwen folks first thing made me feel like I had a place and community here.” She learned the importance of swing as a solo player for classes. She makes an interesting point.

the evening. We dancers are applauding our friends and fellow members of the RSCDS!

“Dancers don’t always say what they mean.

“That felt slow” could more accurately mean “That didn’t have any lift/didn’t make me want to dance” rather than “The metronome marking was off.”

Multi-instrumentalist Dirk Teide was not yet a dancer when he married Emily Peterson who had started dancing as a university student in the Delaware Valley Branch. Dirk had gone to university on a violin scholarship to play in the orchestra.

When they moved to Boston in 2008 to start their professional careers, they already knew to look for a local dance community. They joined our Salem class and Dirk had some conversations with the teacher, Mary Ellen Scannell, about playing for dancing. Mary Ellen suggested he meet Dan Wheatley (non-dancing husband of member, Lucinda Brandt) and sit in for their next gig playing for the Salem Class party. Dirk was instantly hooked as a dancer and musician! Dirk plays guitar and fiddle and electric bass.

He writes, “Playing for people and dances is a real treat. It fits my skills and interests perfectly, and has given me an opportunity to expand on my music in ways I never would have thought—putting together sets, learning accompaniment, music theory and chord structures, and playing instruments I love to play.”

Fiddler Sue Chari is one of the few people who did not encounter dancing first! A classical violinist, Sue played in a community orchestra that lost funding and folded. She had had the idea of playing Scottish fiddle music and joined the Boston Scottish Fiddle Club founded in 1981 (by fiddlers who were also Scottish country dancers!).

Sue writes, “My introduction to Scottish country dancing was when Dan Wheatley invited me to play in his band in 2014.

We rehearsed and you were the bandleader/teacher when we played for class and social hour. It was great fun to have people dancing to our music. Dan taught us the basic structure of the dances, how the music was organised, with a chord at the beginning and end, etc. I have learned a LOT about playing for dancing from you, both as a band-leader and also a dance teacher. Barbara McOwen also helped me early on. I learn so much just by playing alongside experienced dance musicians. I started Scottish country dancing a year or so after I started playing in Dan’s band. The dancing is fun and it’s another wonderful community to be a part of.”

Idea 2 Teachers, you might well be the person who suggests to a dancer that they might like to learn to play for dancing.

Idea 3 Organizers, you and your group would need to commit to the idea of attracting not only new dancers, but new musicians.

Tom Pixton: Band-leader and Scottish music enthusiast Tom Pixton was a professional harpsichord player in his early musical life. His wife danced with different groups in the Boston area. He writes, “When a friend handed me their mother’s accordion, and I figured out how to put it on, it was an instant bond! I knew I had discovered my real instrument, the one I was meant to play.” He heard about the open band nights at the Boston Branch’s Cambridge class and went along. Tom continues, ‘I was given a sheaf of music and, being a good sight reader, I had no problem cranking through the tunes. What struck me was the fun everyone was having, what nice people they all seemed to be, and how much they liked the music.

I started dancing. Before long, I had my ghillies, kilts, sgian dubh, and I was an RSCDS addict. At that very first dance, I played, and I was encouraged to come back as often as I could. Soon I was invited to be band-leader for a month. I enlisted a few fiddlers and cobbled together some sheet music. The dance organizers and attendees made me feel so welcome as they whooped and hollered their enthusiasm. I started cranking out more tunes and within a few years was playing paying gigs. When I was first asked to be Music Director for Pinewoods, I really felt like I had arrived! The dancing community and musicians couldn’t have been more wonderful. They have become part of my life!’

What can we learn from our collective experience?

Idea 1 I suspect that 94% of the musicians in North America who play regularly for classes and parties started out as dancers first. The new musician can play for part of the evening and dance for the rest of

Idea 4 Teachers, the dance musician needs to be able to play AND watch dancers at the same time as they learn to fit their music to the movement.

Ask a new musician to play for a class and have them bring one jig, one reel and one strathspey. If your community is committed to encouraging musical members, then they won’t mind practicing steps and movements to one melody.

Idea 5 If you have a few musicians, encourage them to get together and practice tunes before a class. You might also tap into the idea of ‘open band’ where stronger melody and backup players sit up front and support new musicians sitting in the second row on stage.

‘But we don’t have musicians in our area!’

I have heard this lament from dance teachers over the last 40 years. I would like to suggest that most of us dance in urban or suburban areas where we all have another world export: classical music. Entice classical musicians to join your group.

Let’s start a conversation! Please email me with ideas, questions, thoughts, etc.

If this topic interests you, it would be fun to travel virtually around the world and meet other local musicians.

Listen to RSCDS Boston Cambridge Class musicians: www.youtube.com/watch?v=H2ytAJap0lw Listen to our California colleagues: www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCMJLszNyoo Listen to the Parcel of Rogues: Susie Petrov, Calum Pasqua, fiddle and Dan Houghton, pipes (who both danced in utero!) www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNkQ4JUEDEI Contact Susie: susiepetrov@gmail.com www.susiepetrov.com

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Dancing around the World All branches and affiliated groups are invited to send in their news (maximum 200 words) to Caroline Brockbank caroline@ceilidhkids.com

The Freiburg Corona Collection In Spring our SCD group in Freiburg, Germany, had to face the fact that we couldn’t continue in the usual way. After a long period of no dancing at all, we were lucky to change to an open-air venue until the beginning of October – when due to weather and waning daylight we changed back to our regular dancehall.

The only thing missing in summer - apart from a proper dance floor - was ‘no-handsgiven’ dances. Following a futile and timeconsuming search we decided to produce our own collection, starting with Kirsten’s Noli Me Tangere. I fiddled with ‘handless’ formations until we had a reasonable choice of dances carrying us through the summer.

Members helpfully added their ideas during class, so we changed the dances accordingly. Therefore a big thankyou goes to those members who bore with us during the experimental phase when lots of seemingly inventive and clever formations turned out to be not so inventive after all – let alone clever.

We were eventually bold enough to go public with the collection, relying on the professional support of Roland Telle for cribs and Keith Rose for diagrams, and including revisions that pioneers in groups from the USA, Sweden, France and even Uganda had pointed out.

All of the of dances comply with social distancing rules and can be downloaded from the Freiburg SCD page:

Plush’ partners in Rome

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www.freiburg-scottish-country-dancers. de/freiburgdances/The_Freiburg_Corona_ Collection-final_version.pdf The crib sheets can be accessed from the Breton branch page :

Festival; the highlight of the year for many dancers. Iain MacPhail was due to play. (He also plays 8 tracks on our new CD.)

Jens Heckmann

Dancers have watched classes and musicians from all over the world via social media; good for keeping in touch but can never compare with face to face meetings. We run alternate weekly SCD and Ladies’ step classes, as well as a few children’s classes, and we have fortnightly ‘socials’ with a speaker or topic, questions and chat.

Newcastle upon Tyne and District Branch

We hope we shall be able to dance together again soon, which is really all our members want to do.

scotbreizh.fr/index.php/fr/danses-specialcovid-19/the-freiburg-corona-collection We hope that these dances make some friends out there – but even more we hope that sooner or later this collection will no longer be needed.

The year that never was! Last year everything was cancelled for everyone.

However, it was doubly disappointing for Newcastle Branch as we were due to start celebrating our 70th anniversary year at our AGM in May 2020 and would have continued with special events until May 2021.

Our Midsummer Supper Dance in June should have been especially ‘special’ with a buffet, a programme relevant to our branch and the launch of a book of new dances with accompanying CD. Marian Anderson’s band were booked to play at the dance (they play 8 tracks on the CD). We shall celebrate this landmark eventually, even if it isn’t until 2022.

Unfortunately, many other events had to be cancelled, including our Newcastle

Sheila Trafford

ROIS Dance School in Rome Italy has been badly damaged by the pandemic. Gyms and dance studios have been closed since the end of last October, after a short summer opening. RSCDS Affiliated Group ROIS Dance School, based in Rome, is organizing virtual sessions of Scottish country dancing with Giorgia De Luca, with the aim of keeping alive the bond with its most loyal students. The lessons are organized from month to month, according to the evolution of the pandemic.

We have fun choosing dances according to the time of year. For example, we studied Christmas Party Jig in December to celebrate Christmas, and New Year Jig

in January to greet the brand new year.

Each dance is a chance to deepen the study of steps and easy formations. Our plush partners are also thrilled to help us to arrange sets at a distance!

Martina Spagna

Moscow Branch SCD clubs and schools in Russia gradually came back to regular classes, with restrictions and precautions to make dancing safe. Dancers also participate in online classes to stay together with the community worldwide. Some events are already back or planned for 2021.

Quick Scotch Club opened the dance year with a meeting of the Russian Team in Nizhny Novgorod at the beginning of January. This was aimed at a wide range of dancers and included classes and evening events.

Beltane Fires, the Cheboksary Club, organized a traditional Scottish Festival on January 30, this year mainly online,

first time in this region, and supported by the International Branch, participants will enjoy live music during classes and evening events, provided by the Permian Ceilidh Band (Perm).

Spring Weekend is announced in Naberezhnye Chelny in March, hosted by the New Town dance club.

Maria Tsvetoukhina

Quizzy Burns’ Night - RSCDS Cheltenham

South East Herts SCDS

We then rattled through some fiendishly difficult cryptic clues to dances and formations. I was disappointed not to get the answer to ‘This girl might have had a bump on the head?’ and ‘This might be an antidote to fake news?’. (Answers at the end)

Carry On Dancing! South East Herts SCDS started online classes in September with some trepidation, aiming to keep local dancers in touch with each other. The 40-minute sessions are taught by Emma and Ian Stewart with their daughter Catriona on fiddle.

We choose dances where 1st couple essentially do the same thing at the same time, so that singleton dancers can follow easily whether men or women, and Catriona chooses popular second tunes to help lift the class. We have gradually learned which formations

On one of the coldest nights of the year Cheltenham Scottish country dancers gathered on Zoom to test their knowledge of SCD. We raised our glasses to the Bard, and our Quiz Master brought us to order for three rounds, with dances between each.

Round two was the Picture Round, but the Music Round generated most head scratching. In addition to naming dances, the first letter of each made a mystery word for a bonus point. With only two tunes identified correctly, I was never going to make sgian dubh.

There were no sumptuous prizes, but a few participants achieved impressive scores.

The evening was true to the origins of Burns’ Night, when friends gathered to celebrate his life and work and provide cheer in the long winter evenings. Thank you to everyone who joined us, including fellow dancers from Cheltenham Scottish Society, and to those operating technology, selecting and recapping dances.

These lines from ‘Tam o’ Shanter’ certainly ring true today.

‘As bees flee hame wi’ lades o’ treasure The minutes wing’d their way wi’ pleasure’ (Quiz Answers: Starry Moment of Truth)

Eyed

Lassie,

Fiona Knee

Christmas Social in Nizny Novgorod. Photo Yuri Saifullin. though having offline dancing in the programme. The ‘Address to the Haggis’ recited in Scots and in Russian united different Russian cities online.

work well, since interest has to be derived from footwork, transitions and phrasing rather than from interaction with other dancers.

The 4th Robert Burns Flash Mob Online, orgainsed by Moscow Branch and Saratov Club ‘Falcor’, had participants from all over the world. You may find all creative recordings of My Love She’s But a Lassie Yet at:

Dances with a personal challenge are popular such as Caberfei , where pas de basque on the right transitions nicely into skip change with the left. The onecouple allemande in Earl of Home was also new to many, and was felt to be an appropriate lockdown formation.

Despite the popularity and fun of our virtual classes, we still have toes crossed for resumption of full dancing soon!

www.facebook.com/groups/scottishdance.ru using #BurnsNight2021 On February 21-23, affiliated group Fairy Tale has arranged the 6th Scottish Weekend in Novosibirsk. Held for the

Ian, Emma and Catriona Stewart

The Stewart Family carry on dancing

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Greensboro, North Carolina Our Greensboro, North Carolina Scottish Country Dance Society celebrated a virtual Burns Night Supper on Jan 25, 2021 via Zoom. We had great fun with the toasts, and the eating of the traditional Supper, which ended with a Ceilidh of songs by Robert Burns. We took various screen shots during the Zoom meeting and compiled a keepsake for our group members to enjoy until we can hopefully celebrate this event next year in person. You can see it here: www.gsoscds.org/yahoo_site_admin/ assets/docs/GSCDS_Burns_Night_ Supper_25_Jan_2021.39183036.pdf The link can also be accessed from the our homepage: http://www.gsoscds.org/ Craig and Sherri Davis

Chesterfield Caledonian Chesterfield Caledonian dance class used their weekly Zoom meet and dance to celebrate Burns’ Night. Andrew Lyon played his accordion at home for us to enjoy listening and also to dance a couple of ceilidh dances and Angus MacLeod. Two class members danced for us; Su danced Earl of Erroll, and Lucy The Sheiling, a new step dance written by our guest David Queen (also joined by our other guest Cathy). Class members Robin addressed the haggis, Mavis recounted facts about Burns and Jan delivered one of his poems. We found time for a wee dram to toast Burns, and all we enjoy that’s Scottish, before ending with Auld Lang Syne.

It was an evening that lifted our spirits and reminded us as to why we love to dance and socialise together. We continue to

enjoy the RSCDS weekly online dance class and look forwards to the DSAH newsletter and the music podcast; thank you to everyone involved.

Liz and Ian Stead

Aberdeen Branch With a total around 130 people, some in couples, attending our Virtual Burns Night on 29th January, we were delighted to welcome our members and visitors from Argentina to Russia via Shetland, Germany, Belfast and places in between.

The evening started traditionally with the address To the Haggis followed by A Toast to the Lassies and then of course The Reply to the Toast to the Lassies.

The latter two had us giggling away, as is appropriate. We had Burns poems with suitable scenes behind the speaker and Doric (North East Scots) dialect poems.

We had a clarsach solo, a piano duet and solo and a flute and piano duet - all playing Scottish music. We then hopped over the Atlantic for some Cape Breton music and then back home with our local accordionist for some Scottish country dances with a relevant theme including the Haggis Thrash, the Burns Bi-Centenary Strathspey and Oh Whistle And I’ll Come To Ye My Lad finishing with Auld Lang Syne.

A delightful well-balanced and interesting event and thanks go to everyone who kindly donated their time and effort. This was our third virtual Zoom event and we have several more in the pipeline. Maybe we can be dancing again after these?

Lynn Wood

Edinburgh RSCDS Dancers and friends from around the world joined us virtually in Edinburgh to celebrate Burns Night. Stephen Carr, our Chairman, opened the event with his Pandemic version of Burns’ ‘Elegy on the year 1788’: ‘O twenty twenty, in thy sma’ space, What dire events ha’e taken place!

Of what enjoyments thou hast reft us!

In what a pickle thou has left us!’

Andrew Lyon plays for Chesterfield virtual zoom meet

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We were treated to an evening of splendid entertainment from musicians Pete Clark, Ewan Galloway, Roddy Johnston and Seonaid Lynn and piper Jamie Crawford, with dancing from our demonstration team. It was lovely to have so many members involved, with past Chairmen Stewart Adam and Brian Harry along with Theresa MacVarish Clark, Grant Bulloch and Elizabeth Harry, all helping the evening to go with a swing as they introduced the programme.

There were some surprise guests on the night, with piping from Yoshi Shibasaki and step dancing from Atsuko Clement.

Thanks to Edward Bain who ensured that the technical side worked seamlessly. It truly was an evening that allowed us to ‘Dance, and Sing, and Rejoice, Man’.

If you missed our event, you can catch up and join with us raising a glass to Robert Burns. https://youtu.be/-CJ7hwi5gM0 Elizabeth A Harry

RSCDS Sheffield We have enjoyed online classes since the end of October. The objective is to spend time with friends, so it’s cameras on wherever possible, and comments welcome. We dance for only an hour, chatting before and after. Led by our usual teachers, dances are simple or familiar, sometimes modified, and maximise interaction between 1st couple. We dance each up to four times through and assume dancers will dance as one of first couple each time, but no-one is obliged to dance more than they wish, and may rest in fourth place.

We held our Annual Dance remotely at the beginning of December, when we were delighted to have Phill Jones play from home. You get the ‘buzz’ and joy of dancing to live music even over the internet.

Zoom enabled us to meet at Rotherham SCD New Year’s Eve dance as is traditional, but without worrying about the weather. A few more sherries may have been enjoyed as no-one had to drive home afterwards.

We held a successful Burns Night, our first one via Zoom. The Selkirk Grace and Address to the Haggis were followed by tunes, songs, step dancing and poems provided by our members. A variation on the ‘Toast to the Lassies’ was entitled ‘Toast to the Non-Dancers’ - those who do not partake in our passion but are always there to listen, lend a hand, and these days, help with technology. And of course we finished with dancing.

Norma Hutchinson

Le Méaudre Reel Dancing is no longer an option but we are all dancing in our heads! What can be done when no dancing is authorized? We were lucky, as we could still dance in our village in the mountains up to the end of October 2020. Since then, we have had to keep our dancers motivated.

We organised a Scottish cooking challenge to keep dancers interested in

Scottish culture. Everyone was sent one or two recipes each week. They then tried the recipe (and put aside their prejudices concerning across the Channel cooking!), and photographed the result.

All photos were sent anonymously to an international jury of dancers. Of course the winning photo won a prize! Most of our dancers took part in this challenge which lasted for two months. The photos were so great that we contacted an editor for our new creation, a cooking dancing book; Cuisine écossaise façile avec le Méaudre Reel!

Cuisine écossaise façile avec le Méaudre Reel!

Still waiting for dancing, we now organise three different dancing times in the week: an art workshop with links to Scotland for children, a workshop for teenagers to create new dances and a ‘tea/coffee and friendly talk’ for adults, about matters linked to Scotland or SCD. We are looking forward to putting on our dancing shoes again. Take care and keep motivated; our dance floors are looking forward to our steps!

Sophie Marchand

Montreal Branch Since dancing in person is still not an option in our neck of the woods – the church halls that we use are all closed indefinitely – I decided to start SCD online. First I hooked up with the New York group, then North Virginia, Albany, Toronto and Cambridge where, thanks to International Branch events, I know several of the dancers.

After about a month of ‘dancing’ nearly every night, I decided to start an online class for the Montreal Branch. We have 12-15 attendees every Tuesday, with a bit of social time at the beginning. It is nice to see everyone and find out what is happening (or not happening) in their lives. And everyone seems to enjoy

dancing alone, together. Planning a class isn’t much different from planning a regular dance class except you don’t have to worry about the numbers!

Hopefully this will help me and my dancers keep our interest and our abilities sharp, ready for the happy day when we can all dance together - together again.

Holly Boyd

Queensland Branch Queensland was very fortunate over 2020, suffering less from disruptions associated with the pandemic than other regions of the world. Dance classes resumed at Spring Hill, Brisbane, on 7 September 2020, with limited numbers. Along with other SCD clubs in the State, we followed regulations relating to social distancing when not dancing, sanitizing, and limitations to serving refreshments.

We are grateful to Ausdance Qld for their guidance. SCD is now termed ‘Recreational Structured Partner Dancing’, distinguishing it from styles of dance not then legitimised in Queensland. Our year concluded with a closing RSPD social attended by about 50 dancers, to the music of the Black Bear Duo. Our opening social is scheduled for 24 April, after classes resume in February. However, lockdown for the greater Brisbane area in mid-January has thrown doubt on future events in southern Queensland.

Several dancers were invited to Tenterfield in northern New South Wales, to an end of year function held by a small dance group led by David Huntley, scheduled for 14 December. About 20 made the 275 km trip, staying in a local hotel. The event expanded to three nights of dancing, with some ‘different’ dances devised by David, including Spring Fling.

Weather was very Scottish – cool, grey, with intermittent showers, very different from Brisbane’s usual summer heat.

Bryan Hacker

Toronto Association We kept busy throughout 2020 maintaining a schedule of social classes five times a week, with Scottish step dancing also included. Online activities provide an important connection for people hunkering down during Covid.

The year closed on an upbeat note with a virtual Christmas dance on December 12. Hosts Keith and Deidre Bark had multiple screens of dancers, with 100 people logging in from near and far; a great response from our vibrant dancing

community. With a mix of dances, there was plenty of physical and mental exercise as we danced in our invisible sets.

The evening featured frequent break-out sessions so people could chat in virtual meeting rooms. Perhaps that, more than the dancing, was the attraction of the evening! Social interaction is a strong component of SCD and is so needed right now. Despite dancing at home, people felt they were participating in a much larger event.

We welcomed Spring with our West End Workshop and Tea Dance on March 27.

It was a one-day workshop via Zoom, but hopefully we will return to the usual three-day event in 2022. Our splendid teachers, both Scroll of Honour recipients, lifted our spirits - Sue Porter from Oban, Scotland, and Fiona Miller from Lethbridge, Alberta. Between events there was virtual socializing, and the afternoon Tea Dance, with music by Don Bartlett, rounded off an enjoyable event. A great start to the new year.

Sheena Gilks

Western Australia Branch Members and clubs have been very lucky that our side of the country has successfully avoided a major Covid-19 outbreak and there has been minimal transmission. Perth, Western Australia, is fairly isolated but has the advantage that life here is relatively normal. In 2020 classes resumed in August after most restrictions were lifted, and we were able to return to dancing with giving of hands and without the need for face masks.

There was a good deal of excitement knowing how fortunate we are to be able to meet and dance together regularly.

We have a long break over the summer months from December to February but held our annual Keep-In-Touch social in mid-January and as always, this was very enjoyable and well attended. Classes have now resumed and the Branch is currently running a weekly technique class, a well-attended weekly general class and a fortnightly advanced class.

Our monthly socials will commence in March. Due to the restrictions, the Australian Winter School, that we were due to host in 2020, had to be postponed but the new dates are now 25 September to 2 October 2022. So please ‘Save the Date’ and hopefully with vaccinations being introduced, travel around the world will be possible and we will be able to welcome many dancers to Western Australia.

Helen Douglas

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Whetherly Books Viktor Lehmann and Alison Mitchell, members of the Central Germany Branch, describe the task of revising, re-editing, digitising and re-publishing the 24 books of Scottish country dances in the Whetherly Book series.

As some readers may already be aware, there is currently a project ongoing within the RSCDS Central Germany Branch to provide new, revised, digital versions of the Whetherly Books. These are available to download for free in pdf format from the Central Germany Branch website.

Whetherly Books 1-6 and 24 are currently available, and we hope books 7-9 will follow soon. They can be found here: w w w. s c d - ge r m a ny. d e / e n / s c o t t i s h dancing-in-germany/publications/ The Whetherly Book series was authored by my father, John Wallace Mitchell - a prolific dance devisor who also conducted extensive research into the history of Scottish country dancing. Whilst living in Heidelberg, Germany, I happened to mention these books to the local SCD group, as I still had a few copies of the original typewritten versions (mostly from the 1970s - 1980s). After trialling a few dances, some of which were particularly interesting and enjoyable, we were motivated to try to give the Whetherly Books a wider audience. Together with Viktor Lehmann we established a plan to scan, digitise and republish the dances.

Numerous volunteers helped with the initial proof reading; Keith Rose is helping to produce diagrams and Roland Telle e-cribs for the dances.

Viktor has since received a Branch Award for his work on the Central Germany Branch website and for his diligence

and care with the Whetherly Books, as well as for the dances he has devised himself. Gradually, we are populating the Strathspey Server dance database with complete instructions. By far the most time-consuming aspect, however, is checking that the dances actually work as described. In a few cases, we find that the instructions are ambiguous, or the progression doesn’t work as intended, or we find genuine mistakes. It is, however, an appropriate ‘lockdown’ project, and I sincerely hope that dancing as usual resumes again before we have finished new versions of all 24 books (and around 80 Whetherly ‘sheets’ of loose-leaf individual dances).

Whetherly Book 24 is an anomaly in the series, as it is a collection of historical dances, mostly from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Although John intended to write a book about the history of SCD, it appears that this project was never completed. Related excerpts have been published in various magazines over the years, including The Reel (RSCDS London Branch newsletter) in particular.

John himself had a reputation for being controversial at times. He was a stickler for detail and, having formed an opinion, would adamantly defend it. Fortunately, he also had a wicked sense of humour, as is evident in some of his writing. John invented a few new figures with interesting names, such as the Counter Splat, Counter

John Mitchell holds up the traffic Splunge, Ruptured Triangle and Twisted Triangle. His better-known dances include Caddam Wood, The Dundee City Police Jig, and The Iona Cross.

As Viktor and I keep saying, although not every dance is a diamond, the oeuvre in total is a treasure. All of you can help – either by assisting in the re-editing process or simply by going through the new editions of the books and picking out one or another dance to try. Feel free to take a look and plan dances to try when we are able to resume dancing.

Alison Mitchell, Central Germany Branch

Kenneth MacDonald MBE In the April 2019 Issue life member Kenneth Macdonald wrote about having tea with Miss Milligan when he was President and teacher of the Glasgow University SCD Club from 1970 to 1974. Congratulations to Kenneth who was awarded the MBE for services to dentistry in the recent New Year’s Honours List.

After university Kenneth spent eight years in the Royal Army Dental Corps.

He then moved to Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis where he not only ran the main dental practice from 1981 until 2014, but also served on several national committees. He was involved in dental nurse training for 25 years and was Chief Examiner for the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and for City and Guilds vocational assessments.

As a keen Rotarian Kenneth volunteered in a clinic in Phnomh Penh in Cambodia in 2009. This was the beginning of a series of training visits Kenneth made through the One-2-One charity, which provides medical and dental care to orphanages, slums, poor rural areas and some prisons where no medical care is provided. Kenneth manages two trips of 3-4 weeks to Cambodia every year. The charity now works in East Timor, Laos and Myanmar. Kenneth has made three training visits to Myanmar.

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Letters to the Editor Any opinions expressed in the letters below are personal to the writers and do not reflect the views of the RSCDS or the Management Board.

Dear Editor Scottish Country Dancing Worldwide

Dear Editor Keeping Dance and Music Alive Today

As travel has been greatly restricted since the start of the pandemic, I have spent a considerable amount of time during lockdown typing up diaries of former travels, which has been very absorbing and brought back many happy memories of past events.

I write following a highly imaginative, remote, Burns Night for members and friends in the Preston area of North Lancashire organised by Ribble Valley Branch. We were treated to live music from Sandy Nixon and Ewan Galloway and performances of dance, song, poetry and quizzes from members as well as the Address to the Haggis. In fact, you could say we had everything but dancing.

I first attended the St Andrews Summer School in 1975 and two years later, I set off for a working holiday in Australia. In May 1978 I reached Sydney, where I stayed with a cousin in Baulkham Hills and as I had few contacts there, I contacted the RSCDS local secretary to find out about Scottish country dances in the area.

I met Audrey and David Joyce in Pennant Hills who took me to a class in Wahroonga where I first learnt the dance Australian Ladies.

Audrey and David took me to a dance in Gosford the following Saturday and we were joined by Anne Kennedy from Inverness and Isa from Edinburgh. Anne, it turned out, was from Baulkham Hills and gave me her address and phone number. Imagine my surprise on reaching the dance at Gosford when I discovered that the MC and several people at this dance had been at St. Andrews at the same time as me! One couple called Jim and Pat Peters had actually been in my class. Another couple, John Morrison and his wife, lived in Newcastle and invited me to visit them anytime.

I was immediately reminded of Miss Milligan telling us that Scottish country dancers were a worldwide family, and watching all the messages sent in every week to the online dance classes proves how true this is.

It was my privilege to propose the Toast to the Lassies. I widened the scope of my address to the contribution made by so many distinguished ladies over the last century and obviously referred to our founders which led me to thinking about the prevailing circumstances nearly one hundred years apart.

In 1918 the flower of the nation’s youth was left lying in the fields of France leading Miss Milligan and Mrs Stewart to realise that single girls and war widows wanted an activity that ‘did not need men’. One could say that the picture is similar today although not, thankfully, due to a world war. The men simply stay away.

A generation later, Miss Milligan wrote in 1940 ‘at the time when there is so much destruction and horror in the world it is surely our duty to keep alive dance and music which bring gaiety and happiness to so many.’

With the Covid backdrop she could have been speaking today.

Roger Brooks, Loyne SCD Group, Lancaster.

Having come across so many amazing coincidences in my life in various parts of the world, I thought there might just be an outside chance that someone reading this might remember! I received a great welcome and enjoyed dancing again after a long gap.

I think the RSCDS has been doing an amazing job during lockdown bringing so many teachers and musicians to our homes. Thank you for all the hard work.

Rhona Bean, Aberdeen Branch

Dear Editor High Finance Unfortunately, the Society, as an organisation, is not alone in having its finances impacted by COVID-19 and the deficit as outlined by the Treasurer in the October edition is concerning.

I am pleased that a recommendation has been made not to sell off investments or 12 Coates Crescent. Such moves would provide a temporary respite but not offer any long-term solutions. The future viability of the Society’s financial stability does require the retention of important assets.

This may also be an opportune time to have some serious and frank conversations around the issue of corporate sponsorship and endorsement opportunities to take advantage of the Society’s worldwide reach and its impact as a global organisation.

Offices in Edinburgh – Kelso - Haddington Dalkeith Tel: 0131 311 4700 or email contact@ermg.co.uk.

We are available for your Personal and Commercial Insurance requirements.

Feel free to let us know when your renewal is due and we can contact you nearer the time.

Michael Darby, International Branch

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Reviews Jennifer’s Dances: A Selection of Social and Performance Dances Each of the components of the recently published collection Jennifer’s Dances can stand on its own: a book of dances, two CDs of music to accompany the 12 social dances and the 13 performance dances, and a DVD showing the dances as performed by the Red Thistle Dancers. The complete set is well worth having to fully appreciate the dances, the music, and the performances. The result of this significant undertaking is a polished and professional package, and all of the contributors are to be congratulated.

Before their retirement Jennifer Kelly and her husband John led the San Francisco Bay Area’s Red Thistle demonstration team (pictured above) for almost 50 years and through over 500 performances.

Jennifer’s choreography for the group is well-known and highly regarded, but she has also devised a number of social dances which celebrate special events and people. One of her jigs, The Scallywag, was published by the RSCDS in Book 52 and is therefore not included in this publication, but the music is included in the social dance CD and on the demonstration video. Jennifer is also known for her strathspey The Laird of Atherton which was published in the second San Francisco Collection and notable for its original tune composed by Alasdair Fraser.

The social dances in the collection are accessible and enjoyable, though likely most suitable for intermediate and advanced dancers.

An interesting presentation of Red Wine and Straight Lines has the dance performed as a 1x32 Jig, 1x32 Strathspey, and 1x32 Reel.

While the dance can be done in any one of the three tempi, the CD uses the full combination as that is how it was choreographed for performance and it is unlikely to be available elsewhere.

Armin’s Dance includes a variation on a men’s chain where the two men begin giving right hands, while the two women cast to begin. Marianna’s Strathspey has an interesting new figure called Petronella Pass. This 4-bar figure is danced by 1st couple and they finish facing first corners; it requires careful phrasing and technique.

The figure is clearly described in the book and demonstrated by the team on the DVD; Muriel Johnstone’s tune composed for the dance is included on the CD. Serendipity is a lovely five-couple strathspey and as is often the case with Jennifer’s compositions, a

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slight variation in a figure adds a pleasant challenge. Here the two consecutive three-quarter figures of eight followed by crossing on bars 7-8 the first time and leading down on 15-16 add just that bit of interest. All of the dances are beautifully executed on the accompanying DVD and the video angle looking down on the dancers gives a clear presentation of the figures.

The performance dances are, of course, more involved than the standard 3x, 4x, or 8x through of the social dances. But in the foreword, Jennifer urges us not to dismiss them as inaccessible.

With over 500 performances to their credit, the Red Thistle Dancers have a huge repertoire from which to choose, but these have been selected for publication to show the variety that is possible. The venues, the events, and the audience all play a role in the choice of tempo, length of performance, and the complexity of figures. As Jennifer notes, ‘not all of the dances in this group are technically, or even choreographically challenging, so please do not discard them without a little investigation’.

The two CDs include original and traditional alternate tunes for the dances. Red Thistle Music plays for most of the Red Thistle performances and includes Susan Worland, also a member of Reel of Seven, on fiddle; Lyle Ramshaw on piano; and Michael Bentley on bodhran. The music is lively, energetic, and unfailingly danceable!

The musicians and dancers have been friends and colleagues for many, many years and their ability to inspire and encourage each other to lift up the performances is wonderful to watch and to hear.

Michael Bentley (Susan Worland’s husband) was a co-producer of the collection and is to be congratulated on the quality of the finished product.

As noted earlier, each of these items can be purchased separately and are available through: https://www.redthistledancers.org/shop and https://redthistlemusic.bandcamp.com/ Red Thistle Dancers are now under the direction of Fred DeMarse, a long-time member of the group. We can look forward to the continued quality of dance and music from the team.

While we cannot yet enjoy dancing together, I assure you that many pleasant hours can be whiled away watching these accomplished dancers, listening to these excellent musicians, and planning how to teach Jennifer’s dances once we can return to the dance floor!

Marjorie McLaughlin, San Diego Branch

A’the best again fae Banffshire: Celebrating 90 Years of the Banffshire Branch Music by Ewan Galloway and Susan McFadyen It has been my pleasure during the current strict restrictions to be able to enjoy and promote the latest dance book and accompanying CD from Banffshire RSCDS as they ‘celebrate’ their 90th anniversary, a project which obviously pre-dated the pandemic. The Branch has followed the same format as for their 75th anniversary, with the CD entitled A’ the best again fae Banffshire, this time asking Ewan Galloway (accordion) and Shona MacFadyen (fiddle) to provide 13 tracks to accompany the 12 dances (the last strathspey has alternative set sizes).

The dances, each with their own inscription, were devised by members of the Branch past and present to be performed to a mix of traditional tunes and more recently composed pieces by a number of well-known musicians, including James Alexander of Fochabers Fiddlers fame, Scottish dance band leader Frank Thomson and Bill Manclark who was head of music at Turriff Academy until his retirement.

The dances in the book and on the CD are in the same order (jig, reel, strathspey, jig, reel, strathspey, etc.) and all the strathspeys are traditional, as distinct from slow airs. They begin with a round-theroom mixing/warm-up 32-bar jig of six repetitions and apart from one square set, the other dances are in standard longwise sets of three or four couples, with one five couple set. With not being able to teach or dance at the moment, my comments can only be ‘as it reads’, but I felt that most, if not all, of these dances, could be used in a general class situation, and that the music fitted well with the formations and flow of the dances.

The first dance which I would choose would be The Speyside Way, a

The Musicians’ Wedding – A book of 12 dances by Gaye Collin from NZ Music by Marian Anderson’s Scottish Dance Band During trips to Cornwall, France, Italy, the Lake District and Spain in 2019 teaching Scottish country dancing, I used several dances by Gaye Collin from the book, The Musicians’ Wedding:

A Babbling Brooke https://youtu.be/TFLM8HLC61A Bars 1-16 are good for teaching different length of step and phrasing.

Bars 17-24 are good for working with corners and the formation is used in the extremely popular dance, The Reel of the Royal Scots.

Dancing the Baby https://youtu.be/cHxhT6kzbjg This is a lovely dance either as a stand-alone reel or as a medley.

It is unusual in that the reel precedes the strathspey and makes a good change from reel following strathspey. The pulling back left shoulder by 2nd and 4th men on bar 12 ‘feels’ right to do and looks attractive from a spectator’s point of view. The Schiehallion reels, men going to the left to start, adds variety. I taught this dance to a class who had recently learnt The Bon Viveur from Book 52, and so they were used to dancing 12 bars of reels and then turning, or in the case with Dancing the Baby half a turn and set. I also like the variation to the eight hands round and back in the strathspey.

Susie from Penilee https://youtu.be/6BamPZX4p0M This dance gives us another dance using the rondel and grand chain. It is difficult to find ‘different’ dances to teach which include these formations. I like the combination of set and rotate for three couples and six hands round in the last eight bars.

Joyce MacLeod https://youtu.be/QVUs0tqGLQA This dance was liked, but people found it odd that the 1st man only

3x32 bar strathspey. The dance combines elementary movements for two couples with reels of three and so involves all three couples at different times in the dance. It finishes with a full poussette, a very elegant but dramatic formation. This would be an excellent dance (as is The Minister on the Loch) to introduce or practise that formation. The last dance in the book, The Ladies of Banffshire, contains the Roulette, a little-used formation by John Drewry; the 8x48 reel A Bouquet of Flowers uses Dance to Corners and Set; and there are four bars of Schiehallion reels in The Haudagain Roundabout. Otherwise, the formations and movements are straightforward. For those who like Macdonald of the Isles style reels, the five-couple strathspey, The Banffshire Centenarian – Mrs Jean Mair’s Strathspey, begins with those, and the final eight bars are a neat visual representation of 100.

Once classes are able to restart then I feel this would be an ideal book to use, alongside old favourites, to get us all dancing again and catching up on all we have been missing.

I am not musical and so my comments on the CD are general. However, I like Ewan Galloway’s style and would bracket his CDs with those of Colin Dewar. Both demonstrate a rock-steady tempo and smooth tune changes, perfect for less experienced dancers, but also pleasing melodies which add rather than detract from the dancers’ enjoyment.

The addition of Shona MacFadyen’s fiddle gives an extra dimension to the full band sound. These are two young, but very experienced, musicians being given an excellent showcase by Banffshire RSCDS and I recommend that you add this CD to your collection.

Copies of both the book and CD may be purchased via the RSCDS Banffshire website: https://www.rscdsbanffshire.co.uk/90th-year.htm and direct from the Sunday Class shop: http://thesundayclass.org.uk/sales.html And from RSCDS Leeds branch shop: http://www.rscdsleeds.org.uk/ Amanda Peart, Peterborough and District Branch dances eight bars! The dance starts with the middle three couples.

Easy Peasy Rights + Lefts https://youtu.be/qlvblG6oOEA I liked this dance for teaching advance and retire and a fourbar turn. ‘Covering’ can also be practised. This dance is also very suitable for beginners as it is ‘once and to the foot’ and they don’t have to worry about progression.

Chain Lynx https://youtu.be/5w7Gz7WMVO8 How good to have another dance including the Corner Chain, a much-neglected formation in my opinion. As Gaye says, the end of the corner chain in Chain Lynx has you ‘going somewhere with momentum’. I also like the exit from the reel of three. The same method is used in Drewry’s dance Salute to Miss Milligan, which I have always liked.

The CD for this book is by Marian Anderson and her band. As you would expect this is an excellent CD. The music is played at a good tempo with plenty of ‘lift’. The tunes for Dancing the Baby are all traditional but the rest of the tunes are modern compositions, some by Marian and many by Muriel Johnstone.

The beautiful tune Sheila Gardiner’s Strathspey by Muriel is played as an alternative for the dance St. Aidan’s Church Hall.

Sheila regularly attends my weekly class.

The Musicians’ Wedding is an excellent book of dances which often uses a ‘twist’ to traditional formations. The original tunes for a number of the dances are included, which is a bonus. For those teachers who do not have the benefit of a class musician, the recording of the CD was an excellent idea. The book and CD are very useful additions to my library.

They are available from: RSCDS Leeds Branch shop: http://www.rscdsleeds.org.uk/ The Sunday Class shop: https://thesundayclass.org.uk/sales.html Samples of the tracks can be heard here: http://www.thesundayclass.org.uk/hear%20mw.html TACsound: https://sound.tac-rscds.org/ Mervyn Short, Berkshire, Hampshire and Surrey Border Branch

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Sadly Missed We would appreciate it if obituaries for inclusion in the next issue were sent from Branch or Club Secretaries.

Dulcie Bond, Sheffield

Bob Gilbert, Houston

Dulcie Bond started dancing in Carlisle. In 1965 she and Paul came to live in Rotherham. She taught the Caledonian Class for many years and, with Paul, gave the Sheffield Branch classes unstinting enthusiasm and dedication. After Paul retired from teaching the advanced and intermediate classes, Dulcie became the Branch teacher. She taught both classes and took great pride in getting us ready to take part in the Association of Scottish Country Dance Societies and White Rose Festivals. Dancing was her passion and she had a vast collection of dances and music.

She was also President of the ASCDS and a founder member of the Morland Annual Scottish dancing week. Dulcie retired from teaching in the Branch in December 2014 and the Committee then asked her to become President. After she retired, she was always interested in what was happening in the Branch and came to day schools and dances when she was able.

Bob Gilbert passed away in October in Houston, Texas. Bob was born on New Year’s Day 1939 in Aberdeen. He served in the Royal Air Force from 1958 till 1961. Bob and his wife Sheila emigrated to the United States in 1965 and joined Los Angeles Branch. Bob worked in the petroleum and airline industries. He was a founding member of the Houston Branch. He earned his teaching certificate and shared his zeal for dance with many others. He moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he taught a dance group. Returning to Houston, Bob carried on teaching and dancing. He danced at the Texas Folk Life Festival. He served the Scottish-American community in a number of ways: Chieftain of the Heather and Thistle Society of Houston; President of the Houston Grampian Association; and President of the British American Business Council.

Norma Hutchinson, Sheffield Branch

Terry Chater, Darlington Terry was a tour de force on the dancing scene in Darlington and North East England from the 1940s. His huge personality, enthusiasm, and love of a good time on the dance floor was legendary. Terry started dancing in his early teens, initially attracted by the music, and in the 1950s began his enduring association with Richmond Branch. From the mid-1960s Terry taught adult classes in Darlington and subsequently a children’s class; and in 1971 he launched Junior Appreciation, an annual non-competitive festival for children. It grew in popularity, welcoming teams from a wide area, and bands from over the border. Terry was in his element! He took children’s teams to festivals in North East England and those involved still remember the hair-raising minibus journeys with Terry at the wheel. In 2009 Terry received the Branch Award, sponsored jointly by Richmond and Leeds RSCDS. Terry will be remembered for many things, but especially his swirling yellow kilt, piercing ‘heuch’, a tendency to sing along with his favourite tunes and unconventional outlook.

Margaret Grieve, Newcastleton Margaret Grieve passed away peacefully at the age of 90.

Margaret, a life member of the RSCDS, started Scottish country dancing at Edinburgh University. When teaching in Coldstream, she danced with Duns and District Branch before returning to her native Newcastleton, where she joined Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles Branch. At one time she was Branch Secretary and later a Vice President. Margaret taught the Newcastleton class for 23 years.

Mary Johnson, Roxburgh, Selkirk and Peebles Branch

Pamela Hood, Leicester

Joy Bradshaw and Caroline Brockbank, Richmond Branch

I first met Pam in the 1990s when she came to Leicester to attend the Branch day school. She then moved to Leicester. She was a valued committee member and was latterly secretary, a role to which she dedicated a lot of time. Pam was a lovely dancer and an excellent teacher, always with a story to tell. She was also a talented singer. Music and dancing were her passion.

Pam was always kind and thoughtful and it was such a pleasure to be in her company.

Peter Elmes, Wellington, New Zealand

Doris Buchanan, RSCDS Leicester Branch

Peter Elmes passed away at the age of 83, after a long struggle with cancer. Peter was a much-loved musician from the Wellington Region. He played at Summer and Winter Schools, classes, day schools and formal dances, both in New Zealand and Australia. A self-taught musician, he had a kind of epiphany involving a button accordion! Peter led many bands and released several LPs and CDs. He wrote many tunes and had a gift for constructing wonderful sets for dancing, having done a great deal of research into the history and development of tunes; he had a rare ear for combinations of tunes. Peter was generous to young musicians, allowing them to play with the band, and was hugely influential in the continuance of the SCD tradition in New Zealand. His contributions were recognized with a New Zealand Branch Award in 2006. Peter gave his time freely to play at rest homes and retirement villages. Always shining through was his love of traditional Scottish country dance music.

Rod Downey, New Zealand Branch

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Kelley Fair, Houston and District Branch

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Campbell Hunter, Falkirk It is with much regret that we announce the passing of Campbell Hunter, Chairman of Falkirk Branch for over 20 years. Campbell was introduced to dancing as a teenager when he attended a Branch class taught by Alex McLaren in the Temperance Café, Falkirk. He then went on to dance with the Glenbervie Dancers, appearing on STV on a few occasions. For over 20 years Campbell taught both country and ceilidh dancing for Falkirk Branch. He was also instrumental in introducing a Day of Dance, where children from all the schools in the area danced in Falkirk Town Hall; he has left a legacy for many children in the area. As Branch Chairman, Campbell attended the Falkirk Branch Crieff weekend (attended by over 350 people) acting as MC on both nights for the ceilidhs and teaching the ceilidh class. He was a popular figure with a wonderful sense of humour.

Anna Marshall, Crieff Organiser, Falkirk Branch

Connie Irvine, Scottish Borders Connie died in February last year aged 89. A keen dancer from schooldays, she joined the Society in 1950. Connie began teaching children. She then enthusiastically taught several local adult classes, continuing up till 2015. She also prepared children for the Borders Schools Dance Festival, for which she adjudicated on several occasions. Connie served as Branch Chair, Secretary, and latterly Hon. Vice President, receiving the Branch Award in 2016.

Connie was a regular attender at the Society AGM, Summer School and dance weekends. She loved Scottish country dancing and was passionate about sharing her love of dance and music with dancers from around the world. She inspired all age groups, loving to tell the story behind the dance, imparting her vast knowledge.

dancer and a Branch demonstration team member for over 20 years. She danced in Summer School demonstrations, both country dancing and ladies’ step, and in mass demonstration teams from the South East, including performances at Wembley and the Royal Albert Hall. Eileen loved to travel and attended overseas dancing holidays and dance festivals, as well as many local dance events.

The popular dance The Dream Catcher was devised by her. After a stroke in 2004 she could no longer play an active part in Scottish dancing, but she retained her interest in the Branch, serving as President for some years. In 2005 she received a Branch Award.

Lyn Bryce, Roxburgh, Selkirk & Peebles Branch

Shiela Nicoll, Annan

Bill Little, Castle Douglas It is with the deepest regret that Castle Douglas Branch reports the death in late December of Bill Little, a member of TAS and a very much respected RSCDS member, teacher, examiner and adjudicator. I had the privilege and benefit of his perceptive, encouraging teaching over many enjoyable classes at Summer School in the 1980s and at various day and weekend schools around the country. He was a fine upholder of the RSCDS tradition and his kind, gentle manner and good humour, linked to his almost intuitive recognition of what made for fine social graces in the execution of the dance, made him a wonderful teacher and mentor – an inspiration for dancers of all levels and abilities and one of nature’s gentlemen. Bill was also a sensitive adjudicator. Bill and his service to Scottish country dancing were featured in an article in Scottish Country Dancer in October 2017 and in an interview in October 2006.

Pat Davoll, Tunbridge Wells Branch

Dancers in the South West of Scotland were saddened to hear of the death of Shiela Nicoll of Dumfries in November. Shiela taught the Branch class at Annan for over 40 years only missing two classes due to snow. She was renowned as an expert teacher, thorough and sensitive to the needs of her class. Shiela and the committee organised two dances per year, in March and November, and these were well attended by dancers from both sides of the border.

Nancy McLure, Annan Branch

Oluf Olufsen, Chairman of the Teachers’ Association of Scotland

Tom Mullen, Manchester Tom Mullen was a friend and gentleman, but also piper, drummer, singer, dancer and huge contributor to the folk scene, Scottish and beyond, for many decades. Unassuming but, unknown to many, a prime mover in the original Intervarsity Folk Dance Festivals when in Leeds in the early 50s; he was also very much an instigator of the Annual Manchester Scots’ Night in 1961, subsequently appearing in almost all of them. He was an anchor of many Manchester Branch overseas trips. He made a huge contribution to my own enjoyment of Scottish music and dancing, piping for uncountable numbers of Highland dances for me over a 40-year period and playing drums in my Scottish dance band for over 20 years.

Dave Hall, Vienna Branch

Eileen Orr, Tunbridge Wells Eileen Orr started Scottish country dancing in the 1970s and was a founder member of Tunbridge Wells Branch. She participated in Branch activities for almost 30 years, as Secretary, Chairman, teacher and dancer. Eileen regularly attended Summer School, taking her teaching certificate there in 1989. She was an elegant

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Volunteer with the RSCDS We are looking for dedicated individuals with a fresh perspective to take the RSCDS into its next century. Help to support a great Society, move it forward strategically and make a difference in a Committee or the Management Board.

It doesn’t matter where you live or how long you have been a member if you have relevant experience, good judgement and an enthusiasm for Scottish music, dance and culture, then we want you! Find out more about vacant Board and Committee positions: www.rscds.org/volunteering | info@rscds.org | 0131 225 3854

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Membership Services is always busy working on new RSCDS publications, newsletters and recordings. If you have a passion for Scottish dance, music and its history, then please put your name forward.

Peter Knapman, Convenor of Membership Services Committee